The patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church has suspended a priest who attended services for the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
Dmitry Safronov attended Navalny’s funeral and also presided over the commemoration on March 26, the 40th day after his death – an important Russian Orthodox tradition.
An order published Tuesday on the Moscow Diocese website demoted Safronov from his position as a priest to that of a psalm reader and deprived him of the right to give blessings or wear a cassock for three years. He was also transferred to another church in the capital.
No reason was given for the decision, which was signed by Patriarch Kirill, a key ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Navalny, 47, died on February 16 in the remote Arctic penal colony where he was serving a 19-year sentence on extremism charges that were widely seen as politically motivated. The cause of death remains unexplained, although the politician’s allies have blamed the Kremlin for it.
Russian authorities initially refused to release Navalny’s body, citing the need for further investigation. Safronov was among the clergy who signed a public letter calling for his remains to be returned to his family.
During his more than two decades in power, Putin has boosted the standing of the Russian Orthodox Church, increasing its prestige, wealth and power after decades of oppression or indifference under Soviet leaders.
In turn, its leaders, like Kirill, supported its initiatives. The Church has supported the war in Ukraine and it has been common to see its clergy blessing troops and equipment for the campaign.
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