Die russisch-orthodoxe Kirche im Krieg

Russia’s attack on Ukraine on February 24, 2022 has marked a turning point for the Russian Orthodox Church. The head of the Church, Patriarch Kirill, has unconditionally supported the Kremlin. As a result, the church has not only lost its chance of an independent position vis-à-vis the Russian political leadership, it has also irretrievably lost its Orthodox communities in Ukraine. For the Russian Orthodox Church, the war has ended a phase of institu­tional and dogmatic renewal that began with the end of communism. After a period of relative openness to theological innovation and global trends, the church has become a ­national church, supporting the Kremlin ideologically and politically. By contrast, the Orthodox Christian Churches in Ukraine, albeit in conflict with each other, are entering a new era in which the symbolic power and influence of the Moscow Patriarchate is broken. Kristina Stoeckl analyzes the processes and events that have brought the Orthodox Churches in the region to this point.