For almost four weeks, the world has been watching the horrific events associated with the Russian invasion of Ukraine.  The loss of human lives, the destruction of cities and neighborhoods, the awful living conditions Ukrainians have been subjected to, and the plight of the refugees, have all been constantly highlighted by the news media.

While there is (almost) general agreement that Putin is the aggressor in a war started under false pretexts, political and military pundits have been debating various ways of providing support to the Ukrainians.  Should the West have imposed economic sanctions before or after the start of the invasion?  What types of sanctions are most effective? How involved should the US and NATO be in the war to effectively defend Ukraine while avoiding a nuclear confrontation with Russia?  Should the US and NATO impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine?  What types of anti-aircraft or anti-tank equipment should be provided to Ukraine?

These debates reflect the Western perspective on this war, the belief that everything possible must be done to help Ukraine against Putin’s evil actions.  Elsewhere, the support for Ukraine may be somewhat more nuanced: while people empathize with the suffering Ukrainians, they also remember that the US and the West have, in the past, been involved in wars of choice (Iraq, Afghanistan), and have not always extended to other populations devastated by violence (Rwanda) the same support they are extending to Ukraine.

From a Christian perspective, what is happening today between Russia and Ukraine is nothing new.  The Jesus movement arose at a time violence was routinely used to achieve greatness.  Kingdoms and empires arose and fell by the strength of their armies.  Alexander the Great is considered great because of his conquests through the use of force.  Rome became great because of its superior military power and its ruthlessness toward conquered territories.

The Jesus movement came and offered an alternative to this madness: a radical commitment to peace and love.  Jesus declared that children of God are peacemakers: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9).  After he was arrested, while under trial before the Roman governor, he defined his kingdom as different from Rome by its rejection of violence, even for the purpose of defending him:

“My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.” (John 18:36)

Today, credible Christian leaders are not, in their public declarations, getting involved in debates about the best way to retaliate against the aggressor.  Instead, they are focusing on humanitarian considerations and calling for the end of the war simply because war is never the answer.  Pope Francis has been one of the leading voices in such efforts.

On March 7, the pope sent Cardinal Konrad Krajewski to Ukraine to provide spiritual and material support, on the ground, to suffering Ukrainians.  Since then, he has made a variety of statements about the war.  A few of the statements he made on March 13 to a gathering of thousands of people in Rome are listed below, as reported by America Magazine.  Referring to the destruction in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, the pope said:

“In the name of God, I ask: Stop this massacre.”

“’Before the barbarity of the killing of children, of innocents and unarmed civilians, there are no strategic reasons that hold up,’ the pope said. The only thing to do is ‘to stop the unacceptable armed aggression before it reduces the cities to cemeteries.’”

“’With pain in my heart, I unite my voice to that of ordinary people who implore an end to the war,’ he said. ‘In the name of God, listen to the cry of those who are suffering and stop the bombings and attacks.’”

The pope urged the warring parties to engage in serious negotiations and deal with the humanitarian crisis.  He asked Catholics to pray for peace and affirmed the Christian radical commitment to peace:

“’God is the God only of peace, he is not the God of war,’ he said. ‘Those who support violence profane his name.’”

Of course, the pope’s radical rejection of violence has not been an attitude shared by all of Christendom since the days of the Roman Empire.  It is interesting to see the difference between Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill who is the head of the Russian Orthodox Patriarchate of Moscow.  These two leaders had a video call on March 16, and an article in America Magazine reported on the meeting.  The article contrasts the stances taken by the two men on the war before their meeting:

“The pope had sought to prevent the war entirely and has repeatedly called for an immediate ceasefire, an end to the attacks and bombings, and the guarantee of humanitarian corridors. On Feb. 25, 2022, the pope spoke with Aleksandr Avdeyev, the Russian Federation’s ambassador to the Holy See, who represents President Vladimir Putin. Throughout the escalating three-week conflict, Pope Francis has carefully avoided naming either Russia or President Putin in his public statements denouncing the war, so as to keep the door open for dialogue such as we have seen today.

Patriarch Kirill, for his part, has taken a stance that until now has been widely read as supportive of the Russian invasion, much to the dismay of many among the Russian Orthodox clergy and laity not only in Ukraine but also in the diaspora and elsewhere in the Orthodox world. The patriarch was also perceived as being close to President Putin on this and other issues. In Rome and in several Orthodox Churches and in the World Council of Churches, it was considered vitally important that Kirill, as Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia, should join the call for a ceasefire, an end to the fighting in Ukraine and support the search for a just and peaceful solution through negotiation.”

From statements made by both sides after the meeting, it appears that areas of agreement were identified.  A statement published on the website of the Russian Orthodox Patriarchate of Moscow said:

“The parties have underlined the exceptional importance of the negotiation process that is underway and expressed their hopes for the reaching of a just peace as soon as possible.”

The article notes that the two sides differed in that the Russian side avoided using the word “war” to characterize the conflict in Ukraine, while the Vatican did not hesitate to use it.  As known by those who have been following news about the conflict, Putin has ordered Russian media to refer to the war as a “special military operation.”

The statement made by the Vatican after the meeting highlighted areas of agreement:

“The pope agreed with the Patriarch that ‘the church must never use the language of politics but the language of Jesus,’ the Vatican statement said. ‘We are shepherds of the same Holy People, who believe in God, in the Most Holy Trinity, in the Holy Mother of God: That is why we must unite together in the effort to help peace, to help those who suffer, to seek the ways of peace, to stop the fire.’ According to the Vatican’s statement, ‘both church leaders underlined the exceptional importance of the ongoing negotiations between the two nations, because, the pope said, ‘The one who pays the bill for the war is the people, the Russian soldiers and the people who are bombed and die.’”

The statement also notes that the pope emphasized his belief that war is never the answer:

“The pope reminded the patriarch that as pastors, ‘we have the duty to be close and to assist all those persons who suffer because of the war,’ said the Vatican. ‘Once in our churches also there was talk of a holy war, a just war, but today one cannot speak this way. There has developed a Christian conscience of the importance of peace.’

Pope Francis agreed with the patriarch that ‘the churches are called to contribute to strengthening of peace and justice,’ the Vatican added, quoting the pope, who said: ‘Wars are always unjust. For the one who pays is the people of God. Our hearts cannot help but cry in the face of the children, and the women killed, and all the victims of the war. War is never the way. The Spirit that unites us, calls us as pastors to help the people who suffer from the war.’”

It is interesting that the pope’s statement suggests that Just War Theory is a thing of the past in the Catholic Church.  The theory was defended by great Catholic thinkers such as Augustine and Thomas Aquinas, and I am sure many Christians still support it today.  Throughout the centuries, Catholics and Protestants have had so much involvement in violence and wars that many non-Christians, today, are unaware that nonviolence is a fundamental teaching of New Testament Christianity.  Readers who keep up with this website would know that I, a rather insignificant blogger, happen to be in agreement with the pope on this matter (See this article for example).  This is, perhaps, because I have never been committed to the so-called “teaching of the Church” presented by any of the denominations, even though I have been a member in a few of them.

Whether any collaboration between Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill will help achieve peace in Ukraine remains to be seen.  But the patriarch has been increasingly under pressure from Christian leaders to use his influence in Russia to achieve a peaceful resolution to the war.  A letter addressed to him, published on March 11 and signed by a hundred Christian leaders, is reproduced below.

His Holiness Kirill
Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia
Russian Orthodox Church

Your Holiness,

We write you as brothers and sisters in Christ. Some of us have worked with you in
fellowship in ecumenical settings. All of us serve in various positions of leadership and
service in churches and Christian organizations. We know well the heavy
responsibilities and challenges which rest on you, and all those called by God to be
shepherds and servants of God’s people.

With broken hearts, we are making an earnest plea that you use your voice and
profound influence to call for an end to the hostilities and war in Ukraine and intervene
with authorities in your nation to do so. We all are witnessing the tragic and terrible
loss of innocent civilian life and the grave dangers of escalation posing the deepest
threats to peace in the world. Moreover, we grieve for the ways the body of Christ is
being torn asunder by warring factions. The peace desired by our common Lord
demands that this immoral warfare end, halting the bombing, shelling, and killing, and
withdrawing armed forces to their previous boundaries.

We make this appeal with no political agenda. Before God, we bear witness that there is
no religious justification from any side for the destruction and terror the world is
witnessing daily. Our first allegiance is always to our Lord Jesus Christ. This
transcends the narrow claims of all nations and ideologies.

We are in the season of Lent. In that Lenten spirit, we ask you to prayerfully reconsider
the support you have given to this war because of the horrendous human suffering it has
unleashed.

In this moment, as the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, you have the holy
opportunity to play an historic role in helping to bring a cessation of senseless violence
and a restoration of peace. We pray you will do so, and our prayers will accompany you.

Respectfully Yours in our Lord Jesus Christ.