Russian Patriarch Kirill on August 23 enforced the decision to defrock Orthodox priest Andrei Kudrin over his prayers for reconciliation between Russians and Ukrainians. Orthodox priests across Russia have been under orders since late 2022 to pray for "Holy Russia's victory." Kudrin served as a clergyman at the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God in Moscow's Bibirevo district. In April, Patriarch Kirill issued a decree banning Kudrin from service. On July 12, the Moscow Diocesan Court ruled to defrock him for "perjury," saying Kudrin failed to comply with the instructions of the hierarchy. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here.
