Current:Home > MarketsRussia's Orthodox Church suspends priest who led Alexey Navalny memorial service -Horizon Finance Path
Russia's Orthodox Church suspends priest who led Alexey Navalny memorial service
View
Date:2025-04-16 10:52:35
A priest who oversaw a memorial for late Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny has been suspended for three years by the head of the country's Orthodox Church. Dmitry Safronov held a memorial service by Navalny's grave in Moscow on March 26 to mark 40 days since the politician's death, an important ritual within Russian Orthodox tradition.
An order published Tuesday on the Moscow diocese website publicly demoted Safronov from his position as priest to that of a psalm-reader and stripped him of the right to give blessings or to wear a cassock for the next three years. He was also transferred to another church within the capital.
No reason was given for the decision, which was signed by Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church and a key ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Navalny died suddenly on Feb. 16 in the remote Arctic penal colony where he had been serving a 19-year sentence on extremism charges widely seen as politically motivated. The cause of Navalny's death remains unexplained, although the politician's allies have blamed the Kremlin for his demise.
- Navalny's message to the world "if they decide to kill me"
Russian authorities initially refused to release Navalny's body, citing the need for further investigations. The politician's team later said that they had struggled to find a hearse to transport Navalny's body after funeral directors had received threats from unknown individuals.
Safronov was among the clergymen who previously signed a public letter calling for Navalny's remains to be returned to his family.
During his more than two decades in power, Putin has massively boosted the Russian Orthodox Church's standing, increasing its prestige, wealth and power after decades of oppression or indifference under Soviet leaders.
In turn, its leaders, like Patriarch Kirill, have supported his initiatives. The church has thrown its weight behind the war in Ukraine and it has been commonplace to see its clergymen blessing troops and equipment heading into battle and invoking God's blessings in the campaign.
- In:
- Alexey Navalny
- Russia
veryGood! (7959)
Related
- Warm inflation data keep S&P 500, Dow, Nasdaq under wraps before Fed meeting next week
- She was elated about her pregnancy. Then came a $2,400 bill for blood tests
- Rain helps ease wildfires in North Carolina, but reprieve may be short
- After the dollar-loving Milei wins the presidency, Argentines anxiously watch the exchange rate
- Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
- Negotiators near deal with Hamas to release hostages
- Prince Harry to appeal to UK government for evidence in lawsuit against Daily Mail publisher
- 8 years ago a grandma accidentally texted young man she didn't know about Thanksgiving. They've gone from strangers to family to business partners
- Louvre will undergo expansion and restoration project, Macron says
- Man found guilty of decapitating ex-girlfriend with samurai sword in middle of California street
Ranking
- What were Tom Selleck's juicy final 'Blue Bloods' words in Reagan family
- For some Americans, affording rent means giving up traveling home for the holidays
- How do you get rid of cold sores? Here's what doctors recommend.
- Trump said the border wall was unclimbable. But hospitals are full of those who've tried.
- Don't let hackers fool you with a 'scam
- Gold mine collapse in Suriname leaves at least 10 dead, authorities say
- Pilot killed as small plane crashes and burns on doorstep of shopping center in Plano, Texas
- How do I boost employee morale during the busy holiday season? Ask HR
Recommendation
Moving abroad can be expensive: These 5 countries will 'pay' you to move there
41 workers stuck in a tunnel in India for 10th day given hot meals as rescue operation shifts gear
Congo and the UN sign a deal for peacekeepers to withdraw after more than 2 decades and frustration
Fat, happy and healed: A movement toward fat liberation
Romantasy reigns on spicy BookTok: Recommendations from the internet’s favorite genre
Blue Bloods Is Officially Ending After 14 Seasons
USPS announces new shipping rates for ground advantage and priority mail services in 2024
Rumer Willis shares photo of Bruce Willis amid dementia battle: 'Really missing my papa'