About 75% of Russians and 60% of Ukrainians profess to be Orthodox Christians.
While the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, has justified the war in Moscow, it has been condemned in the two Ukrainian Orthodox churches.
Patriarch Kirill presents Vladimir Putin's war as legitimate resistance to Western values in his sermons in Moscow. In keeping with Putin's line and in accordance with the president's ban on reporting on the war or even calling it as such, the patriarch also did not use the word "war" for the invasion of Ukraine but spoke of "events" and "military actions."
Each of the two Orthodox churches in Ukraine has referred to the "war" by name and condemned it emphatically. while the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OKU) reaction was to be expected even the patriarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOK), which is an autonomous church within the Russian Orthodox Church, a part of the Russian Orthodox Church, had spoken of an "invasion" of Ukraine on the very first day of the war and called on Putin to end it.
The synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church called on the patriarch in Moscow to use his influence on Putin and work for peace. But that was left out of the coverage in Russia. The Moscow patriarch's failure to speak out for peace has led to many bishops of the UOK in Ukraine giving instructions to stop mentioning his name in prayer, as is customary.
In early March, Russian Orthodox clergy and priests published an open letter calling for an end to the war. Written in Russian, the letter reads: "We, the priests and deacons of the Russian Orthodox Church, appeal on our own behalf to all in whose name the fratricidal war in Ukraine will end and call for reconciliation and an immediate ceasefire." They spoke of the "ordeal to which our brothers and sisters in Ukraine are undeservedly subjected" and referring to the future added, "We are saddened to think of the gulf that our children and grandchildren in Russia and Ukraine will have to bridge to become friends again, to respect and love one another." As of March 8, 2022, 286 priests and deacons have signed the letter. These clerics make up a relatively small group out of around 36,000 priests in the Russian Orthodox Church. But they are now being subjected to reprisals and persecution by the Russian authorities and the Federal Secret Service (FSB).
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