[World Council of Churches] World Council of Churches general secretary the Rev. Jerry Pillay, on behalf of WCC member churches, said that the organization cannot reconcile the Decree of the XXV World Russian People’s Council describing the conflict in Ukraine as a “Holy War.” 

On March 27,  the decree of the XXV World Russian People’s Council, “The Present and Future of the Russian World,” was approved. The chair of the council was the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill.

The decree, which is addressed to the legislative and executive authorities of Russia, has raised grave concerns among WCC member churches. Pillay said, “Among other concerns arising from the recent decree, the World Council of Churches cannot reconcile the statement that ‘the special military operation [in Ukraine] is a Holy War’ with what we have heard directly from Patriarch Kirill himself, nor with relevant WCC governing body policy pronouncements, nor indeed with the biblical calling for Christians to be peacemakers in the midst of conflict.”

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