Patriarch Kirill urges Ukrainian politicians to refuse using the Church in their political interests

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia expressed his concern with the attempts of some Ukrainian political figures to use the Church in that country to their political goals. "The situation in Ukraine is really complicated, the major reason being that the schism there is based on political considerations and the intention of some officials to use the Church and people's faith to their own interests not in any way related to the proper Christian goals," Patriarch said in an interview published by Izvestia daily.

According to him, "this is yet another proof of how carefully politicians should address religious matters and how it is dangerous when somebody tries to use the Church in his or her political aims."

"We consider Kiev a southern capital of the Russian Orthodoxy. The single tradition for the total Eastern Slavic civilization starts here. Today, as never before, the Orthodox believers of Russia, Ukraine, and Belorussia realize the importance of spiritual unity of historic Russia separated by political borders," Patriarch added.

Source: Interfax religion