Patriarch Kirill’s new book offers fresh theological justification for Russia’s war

Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill has published a new book portraying war as a spiritual calling and a redemptive struggle, reinforcing the theological justification he has repeatedly offered for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The publication comes weeks after the head of the Russian Orthodox Church avoided inclusion in the EU’s latest sanctions package following objections raised by the Bulgarian government.

The book, titled War. Beyond Visible Causes and Consequences, has been published by the Moscow Patriarchate’s publishing house, according to the independent Russian outlet Meduza.

According to the publisher’s description, the volume is devoted to “the metaphysics of war”, examining concepts such as sacrifice, heroism, patriotism and victory “through a distinctively spiritual lens”.

The announcement describes war as part of a struggle between good and evil and argues that its outcome is ultimately determined by God.

“His Holiness the Patriarch speaks of the redemptive meaning and aftermath of war, of Russia’s metaphysical boundaries and goals, and touches on the racial aspect of war,” the publisher says.

It adds that “our earthly calling is to be warriors of the Lord, to resist evil, and to uphold high moral ideals.”

Kirill also writes that the Russian people bear “a great responsibility not to shirk their historical duty to be victors.”

Religious justification for the war

The book is the latest expression of a position Kirill has consistently defended since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The patriarch has repeatedly presented the conflict not simply as a geopolitical confrontation but as a spiritual struggle in defence of the “Russian world” and traditional values.

In previous public statements, he has described the war against Ukraine as “a continuation of that unfinished war in which we won the Great Victory in the spring of 1945 but failed to fully eradicate the evil of Nazism.”

His sermons have frequently echoed Kremlin narratives portraying Russia’s military campaign as a moral and historical mission.

Critics argue that Kirill has moved far beyond the traditional role of a religious leader and become one of the Kremlin’s most influential ideological supporters. Analysts have described the Russian Orthodox Church under his leadership as providing a religious framework for Moscow’s expansionist policies and helping legitimise the war among believers.

The close relationship between President Vladimir Putin and Kirill has become increasingly visible during the conflict. In January 2025, Putin announced that Russian soldiers distinguished in the war against Ukraine would receive military crosses blessed by the patriarch and engraved with the Russian president’s initials.

Bulgarian objections to sanctions

The publication is likely to revive questions about the European Union’s decision not to sanction Kirill despite his outspoken support for the war.

During negotiations on the EU’s 21st sanctions package against Russia, Bulgaria opposed the inclusion of the patriarch on the sanctions list.

Prime Minister Rumen Radev argued that sanctioning a religious leader would cross a political line. “The time of the Crusades is over,” Radev said at the time.

“This war has already gone beyond the trenches. It has spread to the economy and energy, we see that it affects culture and sport, and now it remains to encompass religion. Yes, we will veto it.”

Radev also argued that his position was motivated not by support for Kirill personally but by the historical and religious ties between Bulgaria and the Russian Orthodox Church.

“I am not interested in Patriarch Kirill. I am interested in the Russian Orthodox Church because Russian Orthodoxy contributed to our liberation from five centuries of Ottoman rule,” he said.

“I am not interested in what the patriarch does. I am interested in the entire Russian society that has this church. It is Eastern Orthodox, just like ours. We are one family.”

Bulgaria’s position drew criticism from several European partners, who argued that Kirill’s public endorsement of Russia’s military aggression made him an appropriate target for sanctions.

Although the European Commission had previously proposed sanctioning the patriarch, his name ultimately did not appear in the final package after objections raised during negotiations among member states.

Faith and politics

Kirill has consistently rejected suggestions that the Russian Orthodox Church should remain outside politics, instead presenting the Church as an essential defender of Russia’s civilisation and historical mission.

His rhetoric has become increasingly intertwined with Kremlin messaging since the invasion of Ukraine, with religious language frequently used to frame the conflict in existential and moral terms rather than political ones.

The new book continues that approach by presenting war as an expression of spiritual duty rather than merely a military or political instrument.

Its publication is also likely to renew debate about the role of religious institutions in legitimising armed conflict.

Following questions about his support for a religious leader who had publicly blessed Russia’s war, Radev compared Kirill’s role to that of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.

The prime minister noted that the Bulgarian patriarch also blesses Bulgarian military colours, suggesting that such religious ceremonies are not unique to Russia. Critics, however, argue that the comparison overlooks a fundamental distinction between blessing a country’s armed forces and repeatedly presenting an offensive war as a divinely sanctioned mission.

Sources: Meduza, BGNES, the Guardian

Caption: Kirill (C), the Russian Orthodox Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Orthodox priests and believers attend a religion procession to the monument to St. Prince Vladimir in the memory of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Great Prince Vladimir on the Day of Baptism of Rus from the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, 28 July 2026. Kiev’s Prince Vladimir baptized himself in 988 and chose Christianity for his state Kiev Rus. EPA/MAXIM SHIPENKOV