Watchdogs Say Russian Church Helped Recruit Young Kenyans Who Have Fought in Ukraine
The alleged pipeline is a sign that the Russian state is leveraging its national church’s expansion into Africa.
At National Prayer Breakfast, Hegseth Says US Soldiers Gain Salvation by Dying for ‘Christian Nation’
Coverage of Thursday’s event has largely focused on Trump’s rambling remarks — but the much more problematic and dangerous comments actually came later from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
US Archbishop’s Meeting With Putin Denounced As ‘Betrayal of Christian Witness’
Critics say the meeting conferred legitimacy on Putin, on top of his being hosted by Trump on U.S. soil despite an arrest warrant issued in 2023 from the International Criminal Court, accusing Putin of war crimes in the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Canceling a Saint
This issue of A Public Witness considers the act of removing a saint and what it might teach us about other religious symbols that have also been co-opted.
A Russian Orthodox Priest Who Took Part in Services for Navalny Is Suspended by the Patriarch
Dmitry Safronov held a memorial service by Navalny’s grave in Moscow on March 26 to mark 40 days since the politician’s death, an important ritual within Russian Orthodox tradition.
The War on Valentine’s Day
With a bloody cleric adding Valentine’s Day to his culture (and literal) wars, this issue of A Public Witness looks deeper into the subversive mythology behind St. Valentine.
Ukrainian Religious Freedom Threatened by Russian Bombs and Propaganda
This issue of A Public Witness offers a crash course lesson from one of the preeminent experts on Ukrainian religious freedom to consider what’s happening in the besieged nation and how religious freedom rights are undermined by Russia.
Russian Orthodox Priests Face Persecution from State & Church for Supporting Peace in Ukraine
When the war started, most priests remained silent, fearing pressure from the church and state authorities; only a small fraction have spoken out. Of more than 40,000 clergymen in the Russian Orthodox Church, only 300 priests signed a public letter calling for peace in Ukraine.
Ukraine Bans Religious Organizations With Links to Russia
Ukraine banned the activities of religious organizations “affiliated with centers of influence” in Russia and said it would examine the links between the Ukrainian and Russian Orthodox churches. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree imposing personal sanctions against representatives of religious organizations associated with
World Council of Churches Head Meets With Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill
The acting general secretary of the World Council of Churches met this week with Patriarch Kirill, the Russian Orthodox Church head who has drawn global criticism for lending spiritual support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The meeting followed months of controversy surrounding the Russian Orthodox
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