The head of the Russian Orthodox Church stated that neo-paganism is spreading among Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia warned about the danger of the spread of neo-paganism within the ranks of the Russian army fighting in Ukraine.

The head of the Russian Orthodox Church made this statement at a meeting of the Higher Church Council, as reported by Russian media.

According to Kirill, the war has given rise to distorted forms of spirituality that need to be addressed.

“Warfare brings to life distorted forms of spirituality. For example, neo-pagan ideas often find fertile ground for development among the military because, as you know, these neo-pagan ideas place significant emphasis on violence and strength. The army is a place where human strength is manifested, so there is a great risk that unchurched soldiers, who are far from Orthodoxy, may be attracted by the rhetoric of neo-pagan preachers… I believe that the time has come, especially for our priests working in the Armed Forces, to constantly draw the attention of soldiers to the feats of Christian saints who served their homeland in the army, in the Armed Forces,” said Kirill.

In his view, neo-paganism stems from the false claim that Christianity in general, and Orthodoxy in particular, are incompatible with military heroism.