Statement of the Christian Interconfessional Advisory Committee of the Russian Federation

STATEMENT OF THE CHRISTIAN INTERCONFESSIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

The bombing of the territory of Yugoslavia has caused an extreme concern among all Christians regardless of their confessional affiliation. This year marks a sad date in the history of Europe – the 50th anniversary of the beginning of World War II. Half a century after that, bursts of air-bombs have again sown death and destruction in the land of a sovereign European state. The consequences of these disastrous actions committed by the North Atlantic bloc can become unpredictable not only for Europe, but also for the entire world today.

We regard the air-strikes on Yugoslavia as an extremely dangerous precedent threatening the very principles of interstate relations which have been established after World War II.

The air-raids of the NATO aircraft are fraught with shedding the innocent blood of civilians. No attempt to overcome an internal crisis in a particular country by armed pressure from outside can help resolve contradictions, but is fraught with further escalation of hatred. It is particularly lamentable for us as Christians that one of the targets for the bombers is old Kosovo, which is inhabited today by both Muslims and Christians, while historically it was the cradle of Christianity in the country.

“Let us then pursue what makes for peace” (Rom. 14:19), avoiding the temptation to solve complicated problems not by the power of spirit, faith and good, but by the unfaithful power of fire and sword. We call upon all the parties to the conflict to find strength and return to the negotiation table, which is never late, so that the existing problems may be settled by peaceful means on the basis of mutual respect for civil, national and religious rights and thus show their faithfulness to the commandment of the Most High to build peace.

Co-chairmen of the Christian Interconfessional Advisory Committee of the Russian Federation:

KIRILL
Metropolitan of Smolensk and Kaliningrad
Chairman
Department for External Church Relations
Moscow Patriarchate

TADEUSZ KONDRUCIEWICZ
Archbishop of Hippon-Zarita
Apostolic Administrator of the Latin rite Catholics
in the European Russia

REV.PETER KONOVALCHIK
Chairman
Union of the Churches
of Evangelical Christian Baptists in the Russian Federation