On May 31, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine imposed sanctions on the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill (Gundyaev), and other figures of the Russian Orthodox Church with 292 votes in favor. Overall, 8 representatives were sanctioned.
This was reported by the European Solidarity MP, Oleksiy Goncharenko.
"The Parliament voted in favor of the sanctions against Patriarch Kirill, or rather FSB general Gundyaev, and other figures of the Russian Orthodox Church for the period of 10 years. This decision should be considered by the National Security and Defense Council," Goncharenko writes.
The sanctions have also affected:
o Metropolitan Hilarion (Gregory Alfeyev), Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate;
o Archpriest Nikolai Balashov, Deputy Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate;
o Metropolitan Tikhon (Georgy Shevkunov), Chairman of the Patriarchal Council for Culture.
o Archbishop Pitirim of Syktyvkar and Komi-Zyryansk;
o archpriest, writer and preacher Artemy Vladimirov;
o mitred archpriest Andriy Tkachev;
o Professor of the Moscow Orthodox Theological Academy and Seminary of the Russian Orthodox Church, Alexey Osipov.
An MP of the "Dovira" group, Pavlo Bakunets commented:
"I am a believer, a practicing Christian. And it is very painful for me to watch the Russian Orthodox Church devalue Christianity. Patriarch Kirill supports and blesses the unprovoked brutal murder of people in Ukraine, most of whom are Christians.
This is a church whose employees, I can't call them clergymen, consecrated a missile with a nuclear warhead, which is called Satan! This is a church that craves the blood of Ukrainians and has been poisoning the minds of Ukrainians for years because of its satellite in Ukraine.
A fish rots from the head down. And today's decision on sanctions is the first important limitation of the influence of this rotten head on Ukraine.
It is also a precedent that should become an example for the parliaments of other countries and for the highest church bodies to make appropriate decisions regarding a religious organization that openly approves and supports a bloody, cruel and unprovoked war."
As RISU has reported, Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church is also included in the new package of EU sanctions.