Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, has published a book titled *War: Beyond the Visible Causes and Consequences*, in which he attributes a “redemptive significance” to the aggression against Ukraine.
The publication asserts that “the earthly destiny of Russians is to be warriors of the Lord,” and therefore calls on the Russian people not to “shirk their historical duty to be victors” and to view patriotism from a “spiritual perspective.”
This was reported by the Center for Countering Disinformation.
Such rhetoric constitutes a deliberate psychological and ideological manipulation of Russian society. In the book, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church presents participation in the war as a “godly cause,” thereby removing moral barriers for citizens.
The use of the concept of a “holy war” and a religious cult of death demonstrates that the Russian Orthodox Church, led by Kirill, is not a religious organization but rather one of the key elements of the state propaganda system and an important pillar of the Kremlin’s war machine.
The systematic support for armed aggression and the sacralization of war crimes provide a direct justification for the European Union to impose personal sanctions against Kirill, Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church.