ROC publicist: UOC being in grief, we should not shout "hooray" too loudly
Sergey Khudiev believes that "patriotic" comments in social networks from fellow believers can only cause alienation and hostility.
Orthodox publicist Sergey Khudiev wrote on his Facebook that in world history, there have been many examples of people of the same language and culture, but belonging to different states, waging war against each other.
He notes that the current war of the Russian Federation in Ukraine differs from those wars by the involvement of the Internet, "allowing residents of conflicting countries to communicate directly with each other."
"This feature of our time allows each person in their place to enhance separation – or not to enhance. To additionally push people away – or not to push away. If a person's house was hit by a rocket, this is in itself a big disappointment, but if at the same time they read on the Internet their old friends' (and at the same time a co-religionists) exclaiming 'Hooray! The armor is strong! Our rockets are fast!', this prevents people from taking cultural and religious unity as a value," the publicist writes.
He notes that such "patriotic" comments do not have any effect on the course of military operations but do affect the growth of alienation and bitterness.
"As members of the Church, we cannot control the decisions of the political leadership – neither one side nor the other. But we can at least refrain from expressing ecstasy, delight, and rapture in the life battle. While the members of the UOC are experiencing severe sorrows, we can at least not shout 'hooray' too loudly," Khudiev noted, adding that "this way, if we do not help in preserving Holy Rus, at least we will not be among its destroyers."
Earlier, the UOJ reported that Kyiv announced mourning on January 1 for those killed due to shelling.
