Patriarch Kirill banned the priest Dimitry Safronov, who conducted a memorial service at the grave of Alexei Navalny, from serving.

By his decree, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ banned Priest Dimitry Safronov, a cleric of the Church of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos on Lyshchikova Hill in Moscow, from serving in the priesthood for three years. The document dated April 15 was published on the website of the Moscow diocese on April 23. Sota and Siren drew attention to the decree.

Kirill’s decision states that the priest is prohibited from holding blessings, wearing a cassock and a priestly cross. By decision of the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, he was sent for three years to the Church of St. Pimen the Great in Novye Vorotniki in Moscow “to fulfill the duties of a psalm-reader and carry out those assignments that the rector will determine for him.”

“At the end of the period of penance, based on feedback from the place of obedience, a decision will be made on the possibility of his further priestly service,” says the decree of the primate of the Russian Orthodox Church.

As Sirena notes, Dimitry Safronov performed a memorial service at the grave of Alexei Navalny 40 days after the death of the politician. As Meduza noted, Safronov was also among the clergy who publicly called on the Russian authorities to release the body of Alexei Navalny to his family (Navalny’s body was given to his mother on the ninth day after death).

Journalist Ksenia Luchenko writes in her telegram channel “Orthodoxy and Zombies” that Safronov did not read the “Prayer for the Victory of Holy Rus’,” which, in particular, says that “those who want war have taken up arms against Holy Rus’ and want to divide and destroy its united people”. From September 2022, the Moscow diocese requires all parishes to read this prayer.