By Efi Efthιmiou
Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, strongly criticized the World Council of Churches (WCC).
In an interview with Russia’s RIA Novosti, just days after the conclusion of the WCC Central Committee meeting in Johannesburg, where he led a large Russian delegation, Metropolitan Anthony expressed discontent with the treatment the Russian Church received.
He notably stated that during the Central Committee’s sessions, the issue of Ukraine was discussed. “I must regretfully note that the work of the WCC has recently been marked by a high degree of politicization in its discussions. This was evident at the General Assembly held in Karlsruhe in 2022, the Central Committee meeting in Geneva, and the current one in Johannesburg.”
Metropolitan Anthony further commented: “In my opinion, the political involvement of certain individual member churches has reached unprecedented levels, and this inevitably affects the overall nature of the WCC’s work, which is rapidly losing its unique status as a platform for inter-Christian dialogue.”
In his interview, he revealed that the Russian Church’s delegation brought up the events in Chernivtsi, including the attempted seizure of the Cathedral there.
In what he described as a “response,” representatives of the Scandinavian churches, primarily Protestants, raised the issue of the forced displacement of nearly 20,000 children from Ukraine, a figure the Russian side claims is just over 300.
According to orthodoxtimes.com, both matters were indeed discussed during the WCC Central Committee meeting in Johannesburg.
“Both perspectives were recorded. The Russian delegation raised the incidents in Chernivtsi, including the injury of clergy, while Protestant representatives, mainly from Scandinavia, referred to the abduction of children from Ukraine.
In such cases, as with any issue where the facts are unclear and the attendees lack a complete picture of events, the discussions are entered into the session minutes, and the matter is referred to the WCC President for further investigation.
This is exactly what happened with both issues,” a source familiar with the proceedings in Johannesburg confirmed.
Another source with knowledge of the Central Committee’s work told orthodoxtimes.com that “it is the WCC’s consistent policy to maintain balance wherever possible. For that reason, resolutions were approved both from the Russian delegation regarding the events in Chernivtsi and from the Scandinavian churches regarding the abduction of children from Ukraine. Both were forwarded to WCC leadership for further investigation.”
Metropolitan Anthony also spoke of the need for greater spirituality, support, and fraternal spirit among WCC members. As he pointedly stated, “I reminded them that they are not politicians. And instead of being swept into the exchange of clichés, we should remember that the faithful expect from the WCC, above all, a fraternal message, words of comfort and support for Christians who are suffering.”
Regarding the draft document adopted by the WCC Central Committee in Johannesburg, Metropolitan Anthony stressed that “there was an attempt to impose the notion that peace negotiations (i.e., between Russia and Ukraine) cannot take place under coercion or result in an outcome that – quote – rewards the aggressor (…). Instead of welcoming negotiations and expressing a shared hope that the conflict in Ukraine will end and that people will stop dying, we are setting conditions for politicians and dictating how negotiations should proceed and conclude. In my view, this is completely unacceptable. That is not our role.”
He added that during the vote on the final document, the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church categorically opposed it, demanding that their special opinion be taken into account when the document is published.
However, sources speaking to orthodoxtimes.com emphasized that no member of the Russian delegation was present during the discussion on the final form of the document. “Since they disagreed, their dissent was simply recorded,” they noted.
It is worth recalling that the Russian Church delegation took a similar stance three years ago at the WCC General Assembly in Karlsruhe. At that time, the WCC’s statement on the war in Ukraine drew criticism from Archimandrite Philaret, who said it was no more significant than announcements from Starbucks or McDonald’s.
His intervention had no effect; the document was adopted without amendment, with the Russian delegation merely registering its objection.
According to sources with knowledge of the proceedings, the participation of the Russian delegation in the Central Committee of the WCC in Johannesburg was slightly improved.
In the discussions held for each Christian tradition, the Russians took part in the Orthodox meeting. Unlike in Karlsruhe, where they made no statement, this time in Johannesburg they participated actively, showing a willingness to communicate with their fellow Orthodox partners.
