(RNS) — How should the world’s largest collection of Christian traditions respond to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine?
That’s the question being asked of the World Council of Churches, the interchurch grouping of Christian denominations from across the globe formed in the aftermath of World War II. Long seen as the pinnacle of the ecumenical movement, the nearly 75-year-old group has been roiled by debate lately over whether it should suspend the membership of the Russian Orthodox Church after the ROC’s leader, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, voiced support for the war and arguably laid the spiritual groundwork for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion.
To better understand this global discussion, Religion News Service spoke with Bishop Mary Ann Swenson, a United Methodist in the U.S. who serves on the WCC’s executive committee and works as a vice moderator for the group’s central committee — the body that could decide whether to expel the ROC when it meets in June.
“It’s delicate with the Moscow Patriarchate. We’re going to try our best to be about reconciliation and unity, ” Swenson said. “These next few months really will be critical,” as the WCC executive committee and then the in-person Central Committee prepare to meet.
There are about 352 member churches of the World Council of Churches and 150 members within the Central Committee, which has at least 25% Orthodox members, according to Swenson.
“The Orthodox community is very, very important in the World Council of Churches,” Swenson emphasized.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
There’s been debate around expelling the Russian Orthodox Church from the World Council of Churches. The effort is primarily rooted in frustration with Patriarch Kirill over his blessing — literally or figuratively — for the Russian invasion of Ukraine. What are your feelings on those calls to expel the ROC?
Father (Ioan) Sauca, in his role as the acting general secretary (of the WCC), wrote to His Holiness Kirill, saying the whole world was looking for a sign of hope, for a peaceful solution. He encouraged His Holiness to address Putin and to end the violence. He said at that time that letters were coming to him from all different parts of the world — from church leaders and from faithful constituents — asking the World Council of Churches to approach His Holiness, to mediate, to help stop the war and all of the great suffering that was happening.
One time (the WCC) put a church on suspension — the Dutch Reformed Church, because that was the time of apartheid. But on all other occasions — and there have been other occasions, with different wars and countries and divisions and issues of oppression, some really difficult times historically — the World Council of Churches has tried to continue dialogue. It has tried to keep from actually expelling anybody, and really staying in dialogue with people on the very different sides of each other.
But the current situation is really about the Orthodox. What’s happening right now is so painful for so many who are the Orthodox faithful. Yet, we really remain committed to reconciliation and to the theme of our (upcoming) assembly: “Christ’s Love Moves the World to Reconciliation and Unity.” At present, the Russian Orthodox Church is a member church and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (which broke away from the ROC in 2019) is asking to become a new member church — so we’re beginning to work with that membership. They’re all invited to come to the assembly.
