He led the funeral mass for Kremlin critic Navalny – now the Russian Orthodox priest Safronov has been relieved of his church duties. Patriarch Kirill I did not give a reason for this.
The Russian Orthodox Church has demoted priest Dmitry Safronov. The Moscow clergyman has been banned from holding church services for the next three years, according to the Moscow diocese website, citing Moscow Patriarch Kirill I.
It is said that he is no longer allowed to give blessings or wear a habit or priest’s cross. He was also dismissed as a deacon in the Church of the Protection of the Virgin Mary in Moscow. Instead, he is now supposed to do relief work as a psalm singer in another church. “After the penitential period has expired, a decision will be made about the possibility of his further priestly activity based on the feedback from the place of obedience.”
Requiem mass for Navalny
Safronov read the funeral mass at the grave of opposition activist Alexei Navalny, who died in a prison camp, 40 days after his death. In the Orthodox Church it is customary to specially commemorate the deceased on the 3rd, 9th and 40th days after their death.
Navalny, who was considered the most prominent critic of Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, died in a prison camp north of the Arctic Circle in February. His supporters speak of murder.
Several clergy have already been deprived of their priesthood
However, from the perspective of the Russian Orthodox Church leadership, Safronov was guilty of something else. He had signed a letter from clerics to Putin demanding that Navalny’s body, which had been hidden by the authorities for days, be released to his relatives.
Safronov also refused to read a prayer for victory in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. The Moscow Patriarchate has been demanding this from all churches under its jurisdiction since autumn 2022.
The Russian Orthodox Church has already stripped the priesthood of several clergy who opposed the Russian annexation of Ukrainian territories and the war of aggression against the neighboring country.
Kirill loyal supporter of Putin
Patriarch Kirill I is an important ally of the Russian president. During his more than two decades in power, he massively strengthened the influence and prestige of the Russian Orthodox Church, which had been suppressed or neglected during the Soviet era.
In return, people like their leader, Kirill, supported Putin’s policies. The Church has championed the war against Ukraine, and it is common for its clergy to bless troops and weapons and ask God to help them in the campaign.