Targeting an Orthodox Christian monastery, notes the New York Times, is “sure to drive a deeper wedge between the Ukrainian and Russian branches of the church.” This particular monastery is run by the church that’s loyal to Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Several other churches in Ukraine have been damaged in the fighting. That, the Times adds, could “sway opinions of the war among believers in Russia, though Russian state media has generally shown little footage of destruction in the war.”
Kirill, who’s been labeled a “religious politician,” accuses the West of trying to “mentally remake Ukrainians and Russians living in Ukraine into enemies of Russia.”
On Sunday, Pope Francis urged an end to the attacks. “Let there be real and decisive focus on the negotiations, and let the humanitarian corridors be effective and safe,” he said. “In the name of God, I ask you: Stop this massacre!”
