Those who Say They Love Russia but Hate Its State are ‘Declaring War’ on Russia, Metropolitan Tikhon Says

Paul Goble

            Staunton, June 12 – Many Russians now say that they love the Motherland but hate its state in fact “are fighting against the Motherland under the flag of patriotism” because “our Motherland includes our state” and always has, according to Metropolitan Tikhon, Vladimir Putin’s favorite Orthodox hierarch.

            The churchman continues that those who carried out the February 1917 “coup” fell into that misconception and believed that they “really loved Russia.” “Some,” Tikhon says, “were ready to lay down their lives for it, but by their actions, they plunged their country into a terrifying bloody abyss” (ukraina.ru/20230612/1047126473.html).

            Tikhon’s comments, made to a Russian propaganda channel directed at Ukraine, represent his strongest defense yet of the idea that Russians must accept whatever state they have rather than think they are acting patriotically by challenging it. But in addition, he makes another comment which justifies the policies of the current Kremlin leader.

            “Russia sometimes changes borders,” the metropolitan says; “and this is the reality with which we live. It is not in the will of the people that our country is exactly the way it is or different than we would like it to be. But it is in our power to actively and intelligently correct mistakes, our own and those of previous generations.”

            According to Tikhon, “our mission is to strive for unity, above all, spiritual unity. This is the will of God, and we must make every effort to fulfill it. How are we to do that? We will wait for the answer of the Providence of God and strive for this with all our hearts.”