lot of talk about these russian christainas fighting in Ukraine and their "holy crusade" ....also these same people keep calling for Ukraine to give up so there can be peace but .....those TRUE Christian russian preists praying for peace .....
Russian Orthodox priests face persecution from state and church for supporting peace in Ukraine
A few Russian Orthodox priests are openly disagreeing with their leader's support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine - and they're facing negative consequences.
In Antalya, Turkey, the Reverend Ioann Koval stood in an old Orthodox church with a Bible and a candle. He led a service after the Russian Orthodox Church leaders decided to take away his title as a priest because he prayed for peace in Ukraine.
Last September, when President Vladimir Putin told some military personnel to be ready, the leader of the Moscow Patriarchate, Kirill, told his priests to pray for victory.
Rev Koval, standing in front of the altar and many people in a church in Moscow, chose to focus on peace instead of following Kirill's orders.
He explained: "By using the word 'victory,' the prayer became like propaganda, telling people and the clergy what to think about the fighting. It went against what I believed. I couldn't accept this political pressure from the higher-ups."
The Constantinople patriarchate* decided that Rev Koval was punished for his stance on the war in Ukraine and ruled to restore his holy rank. The same day, Bartholomew allowed him to serve in his churches.
*for those that don't know this was the traditional head of all russian and Ukrainian clergy and the Greek orthodix faith
