Today marks the 25-year anniversary of an extremely significant event in Orthodox world history.
On March 24th, 1999, NATO, under the direction of the United States, began Operation Allied Force, a bombing campaign to intervene and end the Yugoslav-Kosovo war. This illegal intervention lasted from until June 10th, 1999, leading to the deaths of 1,008 service members, injuring 5,000 more, and martyring 2,000 civilians along with an estimated 12,000 injured.
However, among the NATO countries participating, there was one man unwilling to attack his Orthodox brothers.
Born in Piraeus in 1968, Marinos Ritsoudis defied orders as the captain of the Greek Navy’s SS Themistocles to participate in the naval blockade of Yugoslavia along with his other NATO counterparts. This defiance came from his spiritual belief as an Orthodox Christian. Ritsoudis is quoted as saying, “As an Orthodox Christian, I cannot participate in the attack of our brotherly people.”
So, after receiving orders to join the other NATO naval forces, Ritsoudis refused to leave port, notifying his superior officer of his denial, and faced a court martial for his insubordination. Ritsoudis was sentenced to two years in prison for disobeying orders.
The actions of Captain Ritsoudis represent a core value of Greeks, which is to protect and ensure the well-being of Orthodox Christians worldwide. Before engaging in his insubordination, Ritsoudis sought the counsel of Father Giorgos Metallinos, where, with his spiritual guidance, he came to the decision not to participate in an attack against his Serbian Orthodox brothers.
Metallinos later testified and defended Ritsoudis at his hearing in defense of his actions. While in court defending his disobeyal of official orders, Ritsoudis was quoted in his testimony as stating: “I had two paths to choose from. I chose the one you have above you; they showed the image of Christ above the Presidium, whom I also place above all because the law of God is above all. It is the conscience of each one.”
After the trial, Ritsoudis apologized to the nation, stating that he felt there was no reason to be hostile to a people belonging to the same religion as him and reaffirming that if Hellas was attacked by hostile forces, he would defend it with his life.
Throughout the trial’s proceedings, Ritsoudis gained support from the public at large, as many Greeks saw no need to attack Orthodox brethren, and nowhere was his support greater than in Serbia proper.
Ritsoudis has been called “the Greek that Serbia loves” by his admirers.
Today Captain Ritsoudis is regarded as a hero – an Orthodox brother who stood firm against the illegal aggression of NATO. Murals were inaugurated in his honor in the streets of Belgrade, and Ritsoudis received The Order of Holy Emperor Constantine, the highest civilian award in Serbia, for “his sacrificial love towards the brotherly Serbian people, refusing to participate in the NATO bombardment of Serbia in 1999.”
As Greeks, while we are heavily invested in the issues of our most beloved Greece, we cannot disregard crimes and injustices faced by the larger Orthodox community. Whether it be a NATO bombing campaign, Jihadists in the Middle East conducting genocides, or a priest in Ukraine being arrested, We must never forget Galatians 3:28: “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.”
Whilst our lands and tongues may be different and strange, we must never let these earthly differences betray our brothers in Christ wherever they may be. At KTE, we are proud of Ritsoudis’ actions and his love for our Serbian brethren, and we can only hope that Greece produces more heroes like him.