The expert highlighted Russia's total rejection of Christian traditions and biblical values due to the regime's policies and the ongoing war with Ukraine.
The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) has effectively ceased to be a part of the Christian world and has become a tool of the authorities. This assertion was made by Sergei Chapnin, a Russian religious scholar and former editor of the official Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate, who described the current situation as a Russian “spiritual catastrophe,” according to Dialog.UA.
Chapnin stated that the ROC and Patriarch Gundyaev now justify the war in Ukraine, repression, and violence, having ultimately abandoned evangelical values.
He made these strong statements during an interview with journalist Yevgeny Kiselev, citing several key events: declarations from the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, President Putin's Christmas speech, and an interview with Patriarch Kirill.
Chapnin concluded that these developments indicate the Russian Orthodox Church no longer belongs to the Christian world. He remarked, “Contemporary Russian Orthodoxy, as interpreted by Patriarch Kirill and Putin, is a cheap para-religious cult. Its purpose is not faith, but serving state and geopolitical interests.”
Highlighting the severity of the situation, Chapnin emphasized that this represents not just a crisis but a complete rejection of Christian tradition, spiritual values, and theological heritage. He expressed particular outrage over a statement from the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service that labeled Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople as “the antichrist” and “the devil incarnate.”
According to Chapnin, such rhetoric undermines the very essence of Christianity. He noted that this is not the first alarming signal, referencing Putin's Christmas address in which the Russian soldiers were referred to as “saviors,” as well as an interview with Patriarch Kirill, where he branded critics of the government as “traitors to the Fatherland.”
“This is no longer a church; it is a structure that serves war and power,” Chapnin asserted.
He specifically pointed out the ROC's support for the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, asserting that at that moment, the Church fully abandoned its reliance on the Gospel. “Yes, there are still individual believers and priests, but the official Church is no longer,” he stated. Essentially, the Church has transformed from a religious institution into an ideological tool for the Kremlin, justifying murder, repression, and aggression.
Chapnin also addressed Metropolitan Tikhon Shevkunov's behavior, often referred to as Putin's confessor. He noted that Shevkunov avoids publicity because of his connection to former Deputy Minister of Defense Timur Ivanov, who was sentenced to 13 years in prison. Tikhon had previously publicly supported Ivanov, calling him a “decent person” and expressing hope for a favorable outcome in his case.
The religious scholar believes that even the alleged assassination attempt on Metropolitan Shevkunov is merely a special operation orchestrated by the FSB.
Having worked for many years within the structures of the Russian Orthodox Church, Sergei Chapnin reaches a harsh conclusion: today's Church in Russia is neither a religion nor a spiritual entity, but rather an element of the state machinery. This, he argues, illustrates the Russian Orthodox Church's actual departure from Christianity.