The famous Russian Orthodox priest and participant in the dissident movement in the USSR Prot. Georgi Edelstein (b. 1932) issued an appeal to his compatriots. He is a clergyman of the Kostroma Diocese of the ROC.
With great pain the priest speaks of those gloomy days when “the soldiers of a country who call themselves Orthodox kill their brothers and sisters in Christ.”
“We Christians should not stand aside when a brother kills a brother, a Christian kills a Christian,” the priest stressed.
Father Georgi called on the people of Russia: “We will not repeat the crimes of those who welcomed Hitler’s actions on September 1, 1939. We cannot shyly close our eyes and call black white, evil – good, to say that Abel probably did not he was right and challenged his older brother. “
Here is his entire address:
“Brothers and sisters! Early in the morning of February 24, Russian troops invaded Ukraine. Kyiv, Odessa, Kharkiv, Mariupol and other Ukrainian cities are being shelled. Russian soldiers kill their brothers and sisters in Christ. We Christians should not stand aside when a brother kills a brother, a Christian kills a Christian. We will not repeat the crimes of those who hailed Hitler’s actions on September 1, 1939. We cannot shyly close our eyes and call black white, evil good, and say that Abel was probably wrong and provoked his older brother. The blood of the people of Ukraine will remain on the hands of not only the rulers and soldiers who carry out orders. Their blood is on the hands of each of us who approved of this military operation or simply remained silent. “
The address is also signed by a candle. John Burdin, chairman of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in the Kostroma Diocese of the ROC-MP.
Note: On September 1, 1939, the “Polish Wehrmacht Campaign” began, as a result of which the territory of Poland was completely occupied, the Polish army was defeated, and the territory of the country was annexed by the USSR and the German Reich.
