MOSCOW—The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, while speaking about atrocities being committed against Christians in Iraq and Syria brought the Ottoman Empire as an example of a government, which had laws in place that in his words “imposed order ensured relative security and stability in the lives of religious minorities.”
“Relations between Christians and Muslims have never been bright. There were instances of forceful Islamization, conquering of Christian lands, but, if we do not consider the military actions, which were also accompanied by losses on both sides, the Islamic world has never witnessed anything similar to the ongoing developments,” Kirill told the Rossiya 1 Channel.
“Let’s take, for example, the Ottoman Empire. Christian minorities were not exterminated there,” he added.
This prompted a spokesperson for the patriarch to clarify the pontiff’s remarks by issuing a statement clarifying his remarks, reported Armenpress.
The statement made by Deacon Alexander Volkov to the Armenian press on Monday said that the position of the Russian Church remains unchanged saying that the absence of such laws one hundred years ago under the Ottoman Empire is what has set the precedent for modern-day persecution of Christians in Iraq and Syria.
“This is the reason we call the current developments ‘genocide,’” said Volkov in his statement.
“The position of our Church toward the Armenian Genocide has been clearly mentioned several times in the numerous official statements and proclamations of the Patriarch. There are clear examples demonstrating our position toward the issue: the top level participation of the Russian Orthodox Church in the key events of the Armenian Apostolic Church, participation of His Holiness in the consecration of Armenian Church in Moscow, the visit of the delegation of the Russian Church to Yerevan in 2015 to participate in the remembrance events dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Genocide,” clarified Volkov.
“The position of the Russian Church remains unchanged. We always protected that position transparently and publicly in international, inter-Christian and inter-religious platforms and will continue to do so,” added Volkov.
The patriarch’s spokesperson did not say what prompted Kirill to make such a statement in the first place, nor, evidently was the clarification made to the Russian press as Armenpress reported that Volkov’s statement was made only to the Armenian media.
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Too much vodka perhaps?
Hmmm. He is part of Putin’s political establishment. Let’s see if they pass Genocide criminalization into law. They could also denounce the notorious Moscow agreement between Bolsheviks and Ataturk. What’s stooping them from doing that? Is it because it’s always easier to solve THEIR Russo-Turkish problems at our expense? We, Armenians, are on our own, pretty much like during the Artsakh war. So, after a signal like this, what should we do? Go nuclear?
Ridiculous. What is happening today is a continuation. The caliphate!
Seriously?
Turkey did such a good job of imposing amnesia on the rest of the on the Armenian Genocide that people have to be reminded several times before it sinks in.
Or, this is Russia trying to slowly make amends with Turkey after the economic sanction from Russia on Turkey after the shootdown of the Russian plane. Russia and Turkey had a multi-billion $ trade. It’s going to bite Russia as much as it bites Turkey.
I wonder how much he was paid to deny the Armenian Genocide. Covering up a crime is aiding and abetting last I checked. Kirill will suffer in hell.
Initially I was disappointed that no consideration was taken by the head of the Russian church, who presented misinformation as a historical fact and in doing so extended his insult to all living Armenians and to all those who perished during the 1915 Genocide committed by the Ottoman Empire.
Now comes the Why?, so I googled [Patriarch Kirill]. Well here it is:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controversies_of_Kirill_I_of_Moscow
Once I read the article “CONTROVERSIES OF KIRILL I” (I recommend that you do it also” I no longer am bothered nor disappointed, The Patriarch is………
The Russian patriarch must be going senile.We should respond to this two faced so and so. I doubt our patriarch will respond to that. I hope that His Holiness Aram I which i respect enormously will have few words with this character.
HIS SUPPOSEDLIY HOLLINESS OR RATHER ” DEVEINESS” IS SIDING WITH ERDEGAUN . WHO IS # ONE ENEMY OF RUSSIA AND CHRISTANITY AND # 0NE SUPPORTER OF ISIS. SHAME ON HIS HOLLINEESS HE NEEDS TO STUDY HISTORY MUCH DEEPER . ITS TIME FOR PUTIN TO SAY GOODBYE TO HIS ”DEIVELNESS”
Russians will only be considered true friends of Armenians when they nullify the Moscow Treaty of 1923 and instead recognize the legal borders of Armenia which includes the occupied West Armenia by the Turks and other regions like Nakhchevan.
Russians but undo the wrongs inflicted on Armenians by early Bolshevik dictators, like Stalin or Lenin.
Fully agree. They signed this for 25 years (which have elapsed three times since 1921). There was a recent change.org petition to their Parliament, asking it to nullify the treaty. I am sure they have the guts to give it a consideration, and the time now is looking more opportune than ever. And it’s in their, Russian, best interests as well, there’s plenty of synergy there. So if they take the Russian Empire’s (and Armenia’s) land back from Turkey, the rest will be much easier: Russians aren’t Turks, Russians are people.
Armenians only have God to help, and he’s busy with other issues, Armenian are left on their own, maybe starting a war will make superpowers react.
Stop the silly nonsense, the man simply misspoke. The Russian orthodox Church has long recognized the Armenian Genocide, so has the Russian government…