Former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has recently accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of “heresy” over comments he made about the Russian army working at "the Lord's behest."
Williams, 75, who led the Church of England from 2002 to 2012, recently spoke with The Independent about a speech Putin gave earlier this month to Russian soldiers marking Orthodox Christmas.
Putin reportedly told troops that the invasion of Ukraine was a “holy mission” and that their presence in the Eastern European nation came “as if at the Lord’s behest.”
“I’d certainly say we’re talking about heresy,” Williams told The Independent in comments published by Sunday.
“We’re talking about something which undermines a really fundamental aspect of religious belief, of Christian belief, which assumes that we have to defend God by violence.”
Williams quoted John 18:36, in which Jesus said “my kingdom is not of this world” and that “if it were of this world, my servants would fight.”
“The idea that death in battle for your country equates to Christian martyrdom seems to be the most bizarre and unjustifiable interpretation you could take,” Williams continued.
“There is something really, really disturbing about the systematic, comprehensive rebranding of Christianity as Russian national ideology.”
Earlier this month, in honour of Orthodox Christmas, Putin issued a statement comparing the salvation offered by Jesus Christ to military service in the Russian army.
“Today we are celebrating a wonderful and bright holiday of the birth of Christ. We often refer to Christ as the Savior because He came into the world to save all people,” he stated, as quoted in an official statement.
“And the warriors, Russian warriors, always carry out this very mission as if by the command of the Lord, a mission of defending the Fatherland, defending our country and its people. People in Russia have always treated their warriors as those who, acting at God’s command, carry out this holy mission.”
On Feb. 24, 2022, Russian forces invaded neighboring Ukraine, claiming to support an independence movement in Ukraine's mostly pro-Russian eastern region.
While many expected Russia to steamroll Ukraine, the Ukrainians under President Volodymyr Zelensky offered stiffer than expected resistance as the war has dragged on for nearly four years.
In addition to Putin, Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia has received criticism for his part in labelling the invasion a “holy” endeavor that resists Western “satanism.”
Williams' comments come as negotiations between Ukraine and Russia about a possible peace treaty are ongoing, even as clashes between the two countries continue.
