Killing Russian soldiers isn't a sin, Metropolitan Epiphanius I of Ukraine, head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, said Monday in a telethon, as reported by Ukrainian state media Ukrinform.
"We, as a nation, do not wish death to our neighbors," Epiphanius was reported to have said. "However, since they came to our land, we're defending our land. Protecting ourselves is not a sin."
The archbishop blessed the Ukrainian people in their fight against Russia.
console.log("BODY2. CatId is:"+catID);if(catID==120){console.log("BODY. YES for anyclip script");document.getElementsByClassName("divConnatix")[0].style.display ="none";var script = document.createElement('script'); script.src = 'https://player.anyclip.com/anyclip-widget/lre-widget/prod/v1/src/lre.js'; script.setAttribute('pubname','jpostcom'); script.setAttribute('widgetname','0011r00001lcD1i_12258'); document.getElementsByClassName('divAnyClip')[0].appendChild(script);}else if(catID!=69 && catID!=2){console.log("BODY. YES for vidazoo script");document.getElementsByClassName("divConnatix")[0].style.display ="none"; var script = document.createElement('script'); script.src = 'https://static.vidazoo.com/basev/vwpt.js'; script.setAttribute('data-widget-id','60fd6becf6393400049e6535'); document.getElementsByClassName('divVidazoo')[0].appendChild(script); }This is not the first statement he has made regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine: A previous statement in late February argued that "the spirit of the anti-Christ operates in the leader of Russia."
He claimed that the "signs" were revealed to indicate this, citing "Pride, devotion to evil, ruthlessness [and] false religiosity."
A MURAL of Russian President Vladmir Putin is vandalized – with red spraypaint and the word ‘Murderer’ written above the original text reading ‘Brother’ – in Belgrade, Serbia, March 6. (credit: Zorana Jevtic/Reuters)This "was [Nazi leader Adolf] Hitler during World War II," Epiphanius claimed: "This is what [Russian President Vladimir] Putin has become today."
