Note, for more information, go here: Responding to Archbishop Viganò & What's Going on in Ukraine w/ Fr Jason Charron (Fr. Jason does get one thing wrong, the so called "Pachamama" episode, as Fr. Deacon Dragani, has conclusively proven, that was NOT an example of idol worship, Fr. Jason, that is a PROTESTANT argument, not a Catholic one), but, Fr. Jason gets everything else more or less right (his wife is Ukrainian and he used to live in Ukraine, and has family there)
So, since 2014, parts of Ukraine have been illegally occupied by Russia. Since 2022, Russia escalated its war in Ukraine. Now, I am not a legal scholar, but, I DO know that there has stangely been Conservatives supporting Putin's actions. Like Archbishop, Viganò, who, for the record, I think is lying. What's bizarre is how Viganò has called Moscow the "third Rome". Moscow was NEVER part of the Pentarchy, as it didn't exist, yet. I am not arguing that the United States should send soldiers to Ukraine to fight Russia (which is never a position I have held), but I am failing to understand some of the "Conservative" arguments people make to defend Putin. "Ukraine is corrupt", okay, and Russia isn't? "Russia is a Christian nation", Christian nations have amongst the highest abortion rates on earth? "Putin is a Russia first guy"! By invading a sovereign nation? "Ukraine is full of Nazis and fascists". Because Nazis are well known for their love of Jews (Zelensky is Jewish), ethnic Jews (the former defense minister is of Jewish descent), and Muslims (the most recently appointed defense minister is a Crimean Tatar Muslim).
What's even more confusing, is those defending Putin don't seem to know his actual positions. Were Viganò consistent, he'd know that Catholicism is heavily restricted in Russia, that he couldn't even preach in the streets, to tell them the truth of Catholicism. The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church is outlawed, so, how, exactly is this a Christian nation? At this point, because of the 2018 schism, it's not even an Eastern Orthodox nation. And lest someone asks me how I know what's actually going on, because I can read some Ukrainian, speak a little bit, and am completely capable of reading Cyrillic. I've also bothered talking to people from there. A widow, a RUSSIAN speaking widow, who is 100% Pro-Ukraine, is not going to lie about what's going on. A Russian soldier who was told that it was a "special operation" to "De-Nazify" Ukraine, isn't lying, intentionally, because that's what they were told. Of course, some American "Conservatives", like to pretend that, not only is Putin justified in this, but that Ukraine is the worst country on earth, maybe ever. I seem to recall Euromaidan, I seem to recall priests were in the streets, both Greek Catholic and Eastern Orthodox, to protect their flocks. It should be noted, that Russia seems to confuse "Pro-Russian language" with "Pro-Russia", I have talked to both Russian speaking, and ethnic Russian Ukrainians, and without exception, they consider themselves Ukrainian. Putin knows he's lying.
Of course, more disgusting than Putin, is the Patriarch of Moscow, of the "Pseudo Orthodox Church", as I've seen some OCA refer to him as. I once got in trouble on a forum for calling Patriarch Kirill a "KGB agent", I was told it was "uncharitable", unsure how, as it's a matter of public record (so was Putin). Kirill cares more about being Russian than being Christian. He told Russian soldiers, he LIED TO THEM, and told them that their sins would be forgiven if they died in battled. Even though they died in battle for a lie? TRUTH matters, and somehow, someway, some (not all) American Conservatives have convinced themselves that Russia is the good guy here. I get not liking Zelensky (Trump said he'd end the war in 24 hours, Zelensky said Biden would do it in 5 minutes, if that's the case Mr. Zelensky, why hasn't he)? But, how does this mean Putin is the good guy, here? Of course, Steve Bannon, Roger Stone, Charlie Kirk, and Tucker Carlson, while they say a lot of things that are true, have this bass ackwards, as my grandma would say. (Stone is probably the worst offender).
Keep in mind, I am a conservative. I understand being frustrated. I am frustrated, too. But, to act like someone who is extremely Pro abortion (Putin had the chance to outlaw it in 2017, he didn't), lies about a country with a Jewish president being full of Nazis (Putin presumably knows that Nazis aren't going to vote for Jewish people), and, in is being bank rolled by China (Check out who picked up the slack on Russia after sanctions, Biden should have put sactions on China, too, this means you're indirectly funding this war, i.e., remote cooperation with evil, if you're American), is somehow the Saviour of Christianity, is an absurdity. We Christians already have a Saviour, Jesus of Nazareth. With regards to Mr. Putin and Patriarch Kirill, or at least with Kirill, I'm not entirely convinced Putin is a Christian of any sort, I'd like to remind you of a Bible verse, 'For nothing is hid that shall not be made manifest, nor anything secret that shall not be known and come to light." Luke 8:17 (RSVCE)
