On the fourth anniversary of the war in Ukraine, which began with Russia’s invasion on 24 February 2022, Metropolitan Arsenios of Austria and Exarch of Hungary issued an extensive and deeply theological statement, highlighting the spiritual dimension of the tragedy endured by the Ukrainian people.
“Four years have passed since the land of Ukraine became a place of crucifixion,” the Metropolitan noted, adding that history “is not written with ink, but with blood.” He stressed that the war “is not merely a clash of interests, but a revelation of our spiritual condition.”
Metropolitan Arsenios observed that the invasion “did not only overturn borders; it overturned certainties,” as “peoples who partake of the same Eucharist found themselves facing one another through the sights of weapons.” He described this as an “ecclesiological paradox” and an “ontological rupture” within the body of the Church. Referring to the victims, he emphasized that “every such death is not only the loss of a life; it is the breaking of a relationship,” drawing particular attention to the pain of families and to the quiet endurance of women, who, as he said, “keep society standing without bearing arms.”
He issued a clear warning against any theological justification of violence, underlining that “Orthodoxy knows no ‘holy wars’; it knows holy repentance,” and that “Christ did not conquer by seizing territories, but by offering Himself.” Any attempt to associate the Gospel with the exercise of coercive power, he cautioned, “distorts the ethos of the Church and undermines her mission.”
In conclusion, Metropolitan Arsenios warned that the greatest danger is “the hardening of the heart” and becoming accustomed to suffering. “War is not fate; it is the failure of freedom,” he said, calling for prayer for the victims, their families, and those who bear responsibility for decisions. He expressed the hope that this anniversary may become “a starting point of repentance” and a path toward “reconciliation and peace,” affirming that “history is not saved by more power, but by more truth.”
Translated by: Konstantinos Menyktas
