Patriarch Filaret (R), the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Kiev, takes part in a festive ceremony marking the 1,026th anniversary of the Christianization of Kievan Rus', in Kiev, July 28, 2014. (REUTERS/VALENTYN OGIRENKO)

Putin Is Under Satan's Influence: Leader Of Kiev Orthodox Church -- Reuters

KIEV (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin has fallen under the spell of Satan and faces eternal damnation unless he repents, a top Ukrainian clergyman said on Saturday in an unusually blunt statement that squarely blamed the Russian leader for the war in Ukraine.

Patriarch Filaret heads the Kiev Patriarchate, a branch of the Orthodox Church that broke away from Moscow in 1992 after the fall of the Soviet Union and the declaration of an independent Ukraine.

His church, a rival of the Moscow Patriarchate which is closely linked to Putin, strongly supports Ukrainian nationhood and the Kiev government's struggle to defeat pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.

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More News On The Leader Of Kiev Orthodox Church Claiming That Putin Is Under The 'Influence of Satan'

Vladimir Putin 'possessed by Satan and faces eternal damnation' -- The Telegraph
Ukrainian Orthodox leader says Putin is possessed by Satan -- New York Post
Ukrainian Patriarch Compares Putin To Cain, The Bible’s First Murderer -- Inquisitr
Putin's Possessed by Satan, Says Ukrainian Clergyman -- The Wire

My Comment: First things first .... a disclaimer .... my religion is Russian Orthodox.

Religion has always played an important role in Russia/Ukraine/eastern Europe .... even when the Communists were in power. In today's Russia .... religion has become doubly important .... and has probably become the most important part of Putin's political base. The fact that the Russian Orthodox church got actively involved in supporting the pro-Russian separatists should not surprise anyone ... in eastern Europe religion and politics has always walk hand in hand. As to the leader of the Kiev Orthodox Church .... he had to react .... from his perspective he sees the Russian Church taking his followers.

Update: Here is a good New York Times post on the involvement of the Russian Orthodox Church in supporting the rebellion .... Evidence Grows of Russian Orthodox Clergy’s Aiding Ukraine Rebels (New York Times).