The head of the Russian Orthodox Church has suspended a Russian priest who led a memorial service for Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.
Patriarch Kirill, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, signed a decree banning priest Dmitry Safronov from giving blessings, carrying a cross or wearing the frock for three years.
Safronov, who performed a memorial service at Navalny's grave 40 days after his death, was also demoted and transferred to another church in Moscow, the decree, dated April 15 and published Tuesday, states.
"At the end of the period of penance, on the basis of feedback from the place of obedience, a decision will be made on the possibility of his further priestly service," it said.
The church did not state the reason for its decision.
Navalny, Putin's most strident opponent of the last decade, died in an Arctic prison colony in February, where he was serving a decades-long sentence on "extremism" charges widely seen as retribution for his campaigning against the Kremlin.
The Russian Orthodox Church is a key backer of Putin. It has embraced his promotion of conservative social policies, including a crackdown on the LGBTQ community, and supports the military offensive on Ukraine.
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Comments (2)
Good stop destroying Russian Orthodox Churches in Ukraine.
@John Donovan, Kick them all out of Ukraine. Stupid religious fools supporting Nazi Russia deserve far worse. As for you, what's your pathetic excuse?
What a evil oppressive clown show russia has become. Now even the priest doing the memorial service for the Russian opposition putin murdered are penalized. I suspose the same will shortly apply to the ambulance drivers the doctors that try to save people that turned out to be sick due to putin's assignation attempts.....the florist delivery flowers to the gravesite for a distant relative.... the birds chirping near the tombstone?
What a an evil, oppressive clown show.
Russian people...have you not had enough of your Kremlin thugs yet? Were you still holding out hope after decades of its oppressive rule and manipulated elections that you vote its mafioso ringleader out? How are the peaceful protests working out for your friends and family ...that ones beaten, fined, and probably now languishing in one of russia's political prisons?
Good, Stop Destroying Russian Orthodox Church's and stop accepting weapons from Imperial USA
@John Donovan, Stop shilling for Russian Nazis you pathetic mutt. Religious clowns wearing stupid hats advocating genocide against Ukrainians should be canceled everywhere.