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Патриарх войны Кирилл заявил, что РПЦ никогда не осуждала смертную казнь

War patriarch Kirill stated that the ROC has never condemned the death penalty

Statement by Patriarch Kirill on the death penalty

On Sunday, February 26, 2023, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia spoke about the death penalty during his sermon at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. The patriarch stated that the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) has never condemned the death penalty and that it is a legitimate form of punishment for certain crimes.

“The Church has never condemned the death penalty,” Patriarch Kirill said. “The Church believes that the death penalty is a legitimate form of punishment for certain crimes, such as murder.”

The patriarch’s statement is a departure from the position of the ROC in recent years. In 2013, the ROC’s Holy Synod issued a statement calling for the abolition of the death penalty in Russia.

The death penalty in Russia

The death penalty is currently legal in Russia, but it is rarely used in practice. In 2019, a moratorium on the death penalty was imposed by the Constitutional Court of Russia, which ruled that the death penalty violates the right to life.