How Moscow patriarch transformed love thy neighbour into kill thy neighbour

In a one-room apartment on the outskirts of Kyiv, a young boy learned to pray when he was ten years old. His mother, a devout Christian, would begin and end each day with the words "Our Heavenly Father…" Despite living in the Soviet Union, where belief was not easy, the churches in Ukraine remained full. Ukraine, with its strong parishes, became a haven for both Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic believers.

Following the fall of the Soviet Union, Ukraine gained independence and its church diversified, with many more denominations emerging, mostly evangelical. This change brought a new reality to Ukraine, where the most significant transformation was the Russian invasion. War brought unimaginable suffering, with innocent lives lost, cities destroyed, and the cruelty of the occupiers on full display.

Amidst this horror, believers questioned God's presence and purpose, struggling to understand how an all-powerful deity could allow such evil to unfold. The Moscow Patriarch, Kirill, played a pivotal role in escalating the conflict. When visiting Ukraine in 2010, he referred to Kyiv as "our Jerusalem," emphasizing the spiritual significance of the country's capital.

However, a decade later, the same patriarch co-created a "holy war" against Ukraine, treating its people as enemies, reminiscent of historical atrocities. While there are thousands of priests in Russia, only a few have had the courage to speak out against the "kill thy neighbor" war. As believers continue to pray for justice and to prevent this darkness from consuming their homes, communities, and faith, they remember the original commandment and call for it to be remembered as it was intended, not as the Moscow Patriarchy reinterpreted it.