The Nun Criticizing Russia’s War

[Szdfan]

Deutsche Welle documentary after former Russian Orthodox Sister Vassa Larin who was defrocked for criticizing Patriarch Kirill‘a support of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.



The video description —

Sister Vassa will not stay silent, even though her criticism of the Russian Orthodox Church and Patriarch Kirill has had serious consequences.

In Moscow, Patriarch Kirill has given his blessing to Vladimir Putin's war of aggression against Ukraine, and many Russian Orthodox bishops have joined him. Meanwhile in Rome, a courageous, previously Russian Orthodox nun has found herself "defrocked" after she spoke out against church leaders. This is the worst thing that can happen to a nun, but Sister Vassa will not give in. She has switched to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and continues to speak out on social media against those who support Putin and the war. The US-born nun has hundreds of thousands of online followers. The bad news for Patriarch Kirill is that she's also an accomplished theologian, having studied in Munich and Vienna, and in addition to her native English speaks Russian, Greek, German and Italian. Plus she has a doctorate in canon law, so she knows what can and cannot be done within the church. A report by Miodrag Soric.

Thought people here might find it interesting.

[JohnH]

Of course the real question is if she’s willing to speak out against war from all sides or if this is just a matter of allegiances.

[Bootstrap]

It's not just her.

Russian clergy who said 'no' to Putin's war pay a price

In February 2022, as Russian tanks rolled across the Ukrainian border, a small group of Russian Orthodox Christian clergy did something extraordinary. They published an open letter calling for peace and an immediate ceasefire. Within days, nearly 300 clergy had signed it — an unprecedented act of collective dissent in Putin’s Russia.

Today, many of these signatories face administrative or criminal charges, or in some cases, ecclesiastical punishment. Their stories, often suppressed and hidden from public view, demand documentation. A comprehensive new report from Fordham University’s Orthodox Christian Studies Center, written at the request of United Nations Special Rapporteur Mariana Katsarova, reveals a hidden truth that American Christians need to hear: There is a vibrant, faith-based resistance to the war in Russia, and believers are paying a terrible price for their witness.

Since Russia’s invasion began, more than 100 religious leaders and activists have faced persecution for opposing the war: 79 Orthodox Christians, seven Baptists, seven Pentecostals, three Catholics, among others. Nineteen have been convicted on criminal charges, with sentences ranging from two to 12 years. Two Christians have died in custody. At least 38 Orthodox clergy have faced ecclesiastical trials, with 17 defrocked and 14 suspended from ministry.

[Bootstrap]

Of course the real question is if she’s willing to speak out against war from all sides or if this is just a matter of allegiances.

IS that the real question? Or is it OK to criticize an aggressor who wants the church to endorse their military invasion? Does she have to prove a willingness to judge the people who were invaded just as strongly before we care that she is persecuted for opposing a military invasion?

As far as I can tell, she speaks out against the bombing of civilians, nuclear facilities, and mass destruction. She also speaks against the Russian Orthodox Church under Patriarch Kirill for supporting or legitimizing the aggression, and she sees that support as a betrayal of Christian values. I have not seen her endorse the Ukranian military or armed force. She seems to focus on witnessing to truth, condemning injustice, and calling for healing, repentance, and support of refugees and civilians. She seems to focus on non‑violent compassion—e.g., supporting Ukrainian refugee families in Vienna. Have you seen something different from her?

If a priest refuses to use the State's prayer for victory, substituting "peace" instead, should that priest be forced to flee?

https://religionnews.com/2025/07/18/the ... g-a-price/

The Rev. John Koval, 47, a Moscow priest, changed just one word in the mandatory prayer “for the victory of Holy Rus” that had been imposed by Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, replacing “victory” with “peace.” The priest’s own altar server reported him to the church authorities. He was swiftly defrocked and forced to flee Russia within hours in May 2023. This transformation of liturgical prayer into a political test represents what the report calls “a profound distortion of Orthodox canonical tradition.”

[JohnH]

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church is just as bellicose as the Russian side of things; they’re just on a different side. They do all the same nonsense like conducting blessing ceremonies of munitions.

[Bootstrap]

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church is just as bellicose as the Russian side of things; they’re just on a different side. They do all the same nonsense like conducting blessing ceremonies of munitions.

But does this nun do anything like that? I don't think so.

[Ken]

Of course the real question is if she’s willing to speak out against war from all sides or if this is just a matter of allegiances.

Only one side started this war. And only one side can end this war. Everything else is just noise.

[JohnH]

Of course the real question is if she’s willing to speak out against war from all sides or if this is just a matter of allegiances.

Only one side started this war. And only one side can end this war. Everything else is just noise.

Either side could end the war immediately.

[Bootstrap]

Of course the real question is if she’s willing to speak out against war from all sides or if this is just a matter of allegiances.

Only one side started this war. And only one side can end this war. Everything else is just noise.

Either side could end the war immediately.

I don't think so. I think that's like saying the Sudetenland could end the war with Hitler immediately. Even if Ukraine simply surrendered and let Putin have the country, I don't think Putin would stop there.

[JohnH]

Only one side started this war. And only one side can end this war. Everything else is just noise.

Either side could end the war immediately.

I don't think so. I think that's like saying the Sudetenland could end the war with Hitler immediately. Even if Ukraine simply surrendered and let Putin have the country, I don't think Putin would stop there.

So, in other words, “just war”?