First Russian Orthodox Church Parishioners in Africa Martyred for Their Faith

Paul Goble

            Staunton, Mar. 7 – The Russian Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa says that two of its parishioners in Nigeria were killed by Islamist terrorists during an attack in Turan on March 6. It says that the death toll is likely to rise because at least 50 Orthodox Christians there were attacked and forced to flee, and the Russian church appealed for contributions to help them (https://rusk.ru/newsdata.php?idar=121344).

            The centrality of martyrdom in the thinking of the ROC MP and the issue of Christians being under attack by Islamists in the view of many around the world mean that the Russian church in Africa is now exploiting its position there not only to recruit soldiers but to help Russian government agencies on that continent.

            The Moscow Patriarchate with the Kremlin’s help can be expected to broadcast news of this tragedy to the West in order to gain support from Christians in Western countries who are increasingly concerned about attacks on their co-religionists and to use this to form a renewed alliance between the Moscow church and these denominations.