Patriarch Kirill is an important ally of Vladimir Putin and a supporter of the invasion. In the past, he has voiced his disapproval of individuals who are against the war and urged the Russian people to support Putin's decision to go to war.
Kirill, who is 75 years old, delivered his first sermon on a Sunday after the mobilization order and stated, "Many are dying on the grounds of internecine conflict" at the service that took place on September 25.
"The Church prays that this struggle will conclude as quickly as possible so that in this fratricidal war as few brothers as possible will murder one other,"
"But at the same time, the Church is aware that if somebody is driven by a sense of duty and the need to fulfill their oath... and goes to do what their duty calls of them, and if a person dies in the performance of this duty, then they have undoubtedly committed an act that is equivalent to sacrifice. They would have given up a part of themselves in order to help others. Because of this, we are of the opinion that the offering of this sacrifice purges a person of all of the crimes that they have done."
A mobilization push that has fanned popular resentment, led to an exodus of males of military age, and caused protests throughout the nation has been initiated by Russia's announcement that it is calling up around 300,000 extra troops to fight in Ukraine.
The Russian Orthodox Church and other branches of Orthodoxy from across the world are more estranged from one another as a direct result of Patriarch Kirill's support for Russia's involvement in the conflict in Ukraine. The leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, has been an outspoken opponent of the war and has made multiple public statements in which he appears to condemn Kirill for the position he has taken.