Archbishop of Alaska apologizes for meeting with Putin: I deeply regret scandal provoked
Archbishop Alexy of Sitka and Alaska (Orthodox Church in America), who met with dictator Vladimir Putin during his visit to Anchorage, apologized for this.
This was reported by Censor.NET with reference to Radio Liberty.
In his letter to Tikhon, the head of the Orthodox Church in America, he said he was "truly sorry" to anyone who felt hurt, suffered, or was confused by what he did.
Alexei noted that he met with Putin out of a desire for peace and a sense of hospitality.
However, as the priest said, many people criticized him for not directly addressing Putin about the need for peace in Ukraine. He recalled that the official position of the Orthodox Church in America, which has repeatedly condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine, has not changed.
"I deeply regret the scandal I have caused," he writes.
Metropolitan Tikhon noted that Archbishop Alexy met with the Russian dictator on his own initiative, without the blessing of the Synod.
We will remind you that Putin visited the memorial cemetery in Anchorage after talks with Trump. At that time, the priest presented the dictator with an icon of Herman of Alaska, and Putin presented him with two icons.
The Orthodox Church in America is autocephalous, meaning independent from other local churches, including the Russian Orthodox Church. Its parishioners are Orthodox Christians living in the United States and Canada, including immigrants from Ukraine.
