The global Orthodox Christian Church has faulted the Patriarch Kirill of Moscow for his stance on Russia's three-year invasion of Ukraine.
The 78-year-old Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church identifies with the Russian government, President Vladmir Putin and his political elite.
In a statement following Russia's missile strike on Ukraine's city of Sumy, the Orthodox Public Affairs Committee, OPAC, urged Patriarch Kirill to speak truth to power.
Expressing outrage over the Palm Sunday attack that killed dozens, OPAC condemned “the ongoing spiritual support—explicit or implied—offered by Patriarch Kirill of the Moscow Patriarchate.”
It said the cleric's “posture toward this war, whether through words or silence, lends a disturbing legitimacy to actions that contradict the very teachings of the Gospel.”
“In moments like this, all spiritual leaders must speak clearly and courageously for peace,” the Orthodox Church's public advocacy group noted.
The statement added that onslaught in Sumy should be the moment the world reclaims its voice and demands peace with urgency and conviction.
Ukraine's State Emergency Service confirmed 34 casualties from Sunday's ballistic missile strike, including two children, and at least 117 injured.
However, the death toll across the country during the weekend has risen to 40, after regional Ukrainian officials issued the latest updates.
Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported that in Kharkiv Oblast, a Russian attack on Kupiansk killed two people, injured one, and damaged houses.
Attacks in Kherson Oblast killed three civilians, injured six and affected residential buildings and key infrastructure, according to Governor Oleksandr Prokudin.
Governor Oleh Kiper said eight people were injured in Odesa Oblast after drone strikes, suffering shrapnel wounds and varying degrees of burns.
Governor Vadym Filashkin reported that one person died during strikes in Donetsk Oblast, while an attack in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast injured one man, Governor Serhii Lysak said.
