russia has once again used the church to justify the war
The kremlin has once again used the russian orthodox church to justify the war against Ukraine and to militarize society.
▫️ russian propaganda outlets are widely spreading footage of church services involving russian servicemen, including directly on the front line, as well as statements by so-called “military priests” about the need to stay with soldiers “in the trenches.” Alongside russian dictator vladimir putin, senior officials and representatives of the russian orthodox church — including the defense minister and metropolitans — took part in Christmas services on January 7, where the war was framed as a “fight against evil” and a “defense of the faith.”
▫️ In the speeches of church hierarchs, russia’s aggression against Ukraine is deliberately disguised as a “spiritual mission.” Religious rhetoric about a “holy peace,” the “russian world,” and the “defense of orthodoxy” is used, while Ukraine is groundlessly accused of “persecuting the faith.” In this way, the kremlin seeks to evade responsibility for the war by shifting it into a pseudo-sacral dimension.
This is a typical practice of russian propaganda — mixing religion, the army, and state ideology to legitimize violence and mobilize the population. While Christmas around the world symbolizes peace and humanity, in russia it is used as a tool to justify killings and continue aggression.
The Center previously published an analytical report on the use of the russian orthodox church as a militarized instrument within russia’s state propaganda system.
