The Russian Orthodox Church mourns for every destroyed and trampled church on the territory of Donbass and Ukraine, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia said in a reply letter to the vicar of the Odessa diocese, Archbishop Viktor of Arziza, who wrote an open letter to the primate of the Russian Orthodox Church in connection with the destruction of the Transfiguration Cathedral in Odessa.
On July 23, the Archbishop wrote an open appeal to Patriarch Kirill and members of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church in connection with the destruction of the Odessa Transfiguration Cathedral as a result of a missile strike. The archbishop wrote, in particular, that every rocket of the Russian Federation arriving on the territory of Ukraine is perceived by its residents as a "blessing to their children" of the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church.
"The harsh and extremely audacious tone of address chosen by you to express your feelings, I can only explain the state of strong emotional shock in which you are because of the tragedy that has occurred. The news of the destruction of the Odessa Transfiguration Cathedral has caused me great pain and deep sorrow in my heart," the patriarch said in a letter published on the website of the Russian Orthodox Church.
The Patriarch reminded the archbishop that in 2010 he personally consecrated the Transfiguration Cathedral with the great rite. "Therefore, there are no words now to describe the bitterness that I experienced when I learned about the damage done to the temple. I understand how much the sight of the destruction of the Transfiguration Cathedral hurt your soul. I fully share the grief of all Orthodox residents of the city, as well as their joy that the main shrine of the temple - the Kaspersky Icon of the Mother of God - miraculously did not suffer and was found intact," the patriarch wrote.
Patriarch Kirill noted that the accusations and reproaches made against him personally and the hierarchs of the ROC seem, "to put it mildly, unfounded and unfair." "A selective approach to facts in such situations is completely inappropriate. The destruction of churches, the death and suffering of civilians began nine years ago in the Donbas... The entire fullness of the Russian Church mourns for every destroyed or trampled shrine," Patriarch Kirill stressed.
He noted that all these years the ROC has been doing everything possible to help those in need and those affected, regardless of their faith, nationality and political beliefs. "I understand well the difficulties of the archpastors and clergy of the canonical Ukrainian Church, who now live in such conditions when an ordinary congratulation or condolence becomes a reason for initiating a criminal case. For this reason, I cannot tell you much in this letter," the patriarch concluded.
Earlier, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation denied the information of the Kiev regime about the defeat of the Transfiguration Cathedral in Odessa as a result of the use of high-precision weapons at night on July 23, According to the ministry, the most likely cause of the destruction of the temple was the fall of a Ukrainian anti-aircraft guided missile as a result of illiterate actions of operators of air defense systems that the Armed Forces of Ukraine intentionally have in residential areas.