Representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church did not confirm the existence of a request to recognize Kuraev as a foreign agent

The head of the legal department of the Moscow Patriarchate, Abbess Ksenia, said TASSthat she knows nothing about the request of the Russian Orthodox Church to the Ministry of Justice to consider the issue of recognizing the defrocked theologian Andrei Kuraev as a foreign agent. Corresponding messages previously appeared in anonymous Telegram channels.

The deputy manager of the affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate, the vicar of the patriarch, Bishop Silouan of Pavlovo-Posad, told the agency that the management of the affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate does not deal with such “legal issues.”

November 28 anonymous Telegram channel “Kremlin Whisperer” reported, citing informed sources, that the senior leadership of the Moscow Patriarchate had applied to the Ministry of Justice with a request to recognize Mr. Kuraev as a foreign agent. According to the channel, citing insiders, the ministry is now conducting a thorough investigation of the theologian; a decision is expected early next year.

Mr. Kuraev, commenting on this blog post in Livejournal, wrote: “At the beginning of the year? So, before my Schengen expires, they will give me a reason to apply for refugee status? Thank you, Your Holiness!”

Patriarch Kirill approved the decision to defrock Protodeacon Andrei Kuraev back in 2021, but it did not come into force for two years due to the current moratorium. The Patriarch lifted this moratorium in the spring of this year. In the summer of 2022, Andrei Kuraev was fined under the article of discrediting the army. He promised to “take the path of correction” because he did not want to leave Russia. October 16, 2023 theologian reported, that he decided to emigrate to the capital of the Czech Republic, Prague, calling his departure “labor emigration.” Departure happened November 4.

Erdni Kagaltynov