Russian Orthodox Church labels pacifism a heresy “incompatible” with Orthodox faith

The publication wrote that Burdin had been trying to leave the Russian Orthodox Church and join the Bulgarian Orthodox Church since last fall, but was warned that “if [you] try to leave the Russian Orthodox Church, you might be banned and stripped of your ministry. Apparently no one gets to leave the ROC.”

Burdin regardlessly submitted an official request to transfer. The priest was banned from ministry on March 16, with a church trial being scheduled for June 16. He was also told that the ROC's decision to disassociate from the priest was made personally by Patriarch Kirill, wrote Sota.