June 15, 2023

ROC: Pacifism is Heresy


ROC: Pacifism is Heresy
John Burdin, former priest of the Russian Orthodox Church. NEXTA, Twitter.

A Russian Orthodox priest who is noted for his defiance to authority and standing against Russia's War on Ukraine, posted a call for peace and was condemned by the Russian Orthodox Church. On June 11, Mediazona reported that a church court file on the case said that pacifism was "incompatible" with Orthodox teachings.

In February 2022, after Russia invaded Ukraine, John Burdin, a priest in the Kostroma diocese, posted a statement on his church's website condemning the war in Ukraine:

"We, Christians, don't dare stand to the side when a brother kills another, [when] a Christian kills another. We cannot close our eyes, shamefaced, and call what is black white, what is good evil (...)."

A month later, Burdin gave an anti-war sermon at his local church, for which he was fined. Burdin left his parish shortly afterward, yet continued to criticize the church on Telegram. On March 19, he was banned from the priesthood. In church court documents, arguments against the priest said that pacifism was "heretical."1
Burdin's primary charge revolves around the violation of ancient canonical rules, including the Apostolic Canons that penalize those who insult one's tsar or superiors. The court argues that Burdin's sermon in March 2022, where he claimed that Christians cannot remain indifferent when one Christian kills another, discredits the military.

President Vladimir Putin has relied on his alliance with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church to justify invading Ukraine. Patriarch Kirill has called the war "metaphysical" and claimed that dying in the battle could liberate one's sins. Most priests are aligned with the Kremlin, and those who don't face persecution. The FSB interrogated priest Maxim Nagibin after he delivered an anti-war Easter sermon.

Other faiths have also been persecuted. The Supreme Lama of Kalmykia, Erdne Ombadykow, was declared a foreign agent and fled to Mongolia. Pinchas Goldschmidt, the Chief Rabbi of Moscow, is also in exile.

The Russian Orthodox Church has argued that pacifism has historically been associated with heretical doctrines in the past. Indeed, noted author and Christian pacifist (who was himself excommunicated from the ROC) Lev Tolstoy wrote, in  "Christianity and Patriotism" (1895), "In all history, there is no war which was not hatched by a Government independent of the interests of the people, to whom war is always pernicious even when successful."

You Might Also Like

Flagpole Ripper
  • April 13, 2023

Flagpole Ripper

A man was arrested for tearing down a Russian flag at a police department.
Masha, The War Criminal
  • March 22, 2023

Masha, The War Criminal

The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Maria Lvova-Belova. Who is she?
The Wages of Conscience
  • February 12, 2023

The Wages of Conscience

The editors of the religious website Holy Fire have called for the defrocking of 293 priests who last year signed a petition demanding an end to hostilities in Ukraine.
It's My Church Now
  • January 10, 2023

It's My Church Now

The Primate of Ukraine conducted Christmas Liturgy in a Kyivan cathedral formerly used by the Moscow Patriarchate.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Murder at the Dacha

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.
Driving Down Russia's Spine

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 
22 Russian Crosswords

22 Russian Crosswords

Test your knowledge of the Russian language, Russian history and society with these 22 challenging puzzles taken from the pages of Russian Life magazine. Most all the clues are in English, but you must fill in the answers in Russian. If you get stumped, of course all the puzzles have answers printed at the back of the book.
Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.
Steppe / Степь

Steppe / Степь

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.
The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar

The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar

The fables of Ivan Krylov are rich fonts of Russian cultural wisdom and experience – reading and understanding them is vital to grasping the Russian worldview. This new edition of 62 of Krylov’s tales presents them side-by-side in English and Russian. The wonderfully lyrical translations by Lydia Razran Stone are accompanied by original, whimsical color illustrations by Katya Korobkina.
Fish: A History of One Migration

Fish: A History of One Migration

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.
The Moscow Eccentric

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.
Survival Russian

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.
The Samovar Murders

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.
A Taste of Chekhov

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.
93 Untranslatable Russian Words

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955