Former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has accused Vladimir Putin of heresy after the Russian president described his invasion of Ukraine as a 'holy mission'. In a speech marking Orthodox Christmas, Putin called his soldiers 'warriors' acting 'as if at the Lord's behest'.
Williams, who led the Anglican church from 2002 to 2012, condemned the use of religion to justify war. 'I'd certainly say we're talking about heresy,' he told The Independent. 'It undermines a fundamental aspect of Christian belief, which assumes we have to defend God by violence.'
Over 1,600 Orthodox theologians and clerics have signed the Volos Declaration, condemning the 'Russian World' ideology as heretical. This ideology claims Russia has a divine right to build 'Holy Rus'. Williams called the idea that death in battle equates to Christian martyrdom 'bizarre and unjustifiable'.
Williams highlighted the arrest of two Orthodox seminary members, Denis Popovich and Nikita Ivankovich, facing up to 20 years on what critics say are trumped-up charges. He also noted Putin's resistance to ceasefires during Christian holidays.
Asked what he would say to Putin, Williams replied: 'The word Christianity contains the name Christ. Which Christ do you think you're serving? The one of the Gospels or some nationalist goblin?'
Williams warned the West about the 'weaponisation' of religion in conflicts, urging religious leaders to condemn violence more strongly. 'If you're saying faith can only be strong if I beat the living daylights out of unbelievers, you're not saying much about the strength of faith,' he said.
