Father Burdin created and posted an anti-war sermon on the parish website in 2022. He wanted to draw attention to the murderous act of being pro-war and how Russian authorities were responsible for killing innocent Ukrainian civilians, saying, “Christians could not stand by when a brother kills a brother”. He also said that any murderer “bears the sin of Cain”.

The Russian government ordered the sermon to be removed within a couple of days. Judge Aleksei Chudetskiy fined Father Burdin 35,000 rubles and charged him with “discrediting the use of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation to protect the interests of the Russian Federation and its citizens”. He was also banned from conducting church services. The Russian Orthodox Church court charged him with “heretical” antimilitarism and said he was impairing trust in Patriarch Kirill – the head of the church and a Kremlin partner.

The Russian Orthodox Church supports the ideology of war, and has ordered all priests to pray for victory during church services since September 2022. It has penalised several of its priests who voiced their disagreement. A liberal priest, Aleksiy Uminsky, refused to pray for Russian victory in January and as a result, church leaders called for his banishment. 

Father Burdin defended his point of view: “From my perspective, it was a Christian sermon, not an anti-war one. We are all Christians, and we should not kill each other. I remain the same Father Ioann for all my parishioners who have known me as such. I am not defrocked. I am simply banned from serving.”

According to a parish member who does not want to reveal his identity for safety reasons, Father Burdin’s congregation tried to warn him and asked him to refrain from expressing political opinions. He also added: “He is a very good person for me. It never happened that I was hungry or had no clothes here. For me, he is a normal and good man.”

Father Burdin has considered moving to Bulgaria and continuing his services there. But he believes the village of Karabanovo needs him more and hopes he will be restored as a priest one day.

Source: https://premierchristian.news/