Father Dmitry Safronov organized a funeral ceremony at Navalny’s grave in Moscow on March 26 to mark the 40th day of the politician’s death, an important ritual in the Russian Orthodox tradition.
In an order published on the website of the Moscow diocese, Patriarch Cyril publicly demoted Safronov from the position of priest to that of psalm reader.
He also took away his right to give blessings or wear a cassock for the next three years and ordered him to be transferred to another church in the capital.
The decision by Cirilo, one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s main allies, was not justified, according to the US agency AP.
Navalny died suddenly on February 16 in the remote Arctic penal colony where he was serving a 19-year sentence on extremism charges widely believed to be politically motivated.
The cause of Navalny’s death remains unexplained, although the politician’s allies have blamed the Kremlin (Russian presidency).
Initially, Russian authorities refused to release Navalny’s body, citing the need for further investigations.
Later, Navalny’s team said they had difficulty finding a hearse to transport the body after undertakers received threats from unknown individuals.
Safronov was one of the clerics who signed a public letter calling for Navalny’s remains to be returned to the family.
In his more than two decades in power, Putin has given a huge boost to the standing of the Russian Orthodox Church, increasing its prestige, wealth and power after decades of oppression or indifference under Soviet leaders.
In return, leaders of the Russian Orthodox Church, such as Patriarch Cyril, have supported Putin’s initiatives, such as the invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
Tags: Russian Orthodox Church suspends priest officiated ceremony memory Navalny News
