Yes, you will be convicted

In the Kostroma region, a protocol for a preaching of the world was drawn up for a priest

“I didn’t have time to get to the house after the service, as they already called me:“ The police are going to you. ” They arrived, interviewed four people, drew up a protocol, said to come to court, ” - since his father John Burdin, the rector of the church in the village of Karabanovo, Kostroma region, Sunday preaching before interference in the affairs of the spiritual law enforcement agencies and several hours did not pass. To call the police, the words “not to kill” were enough.

Father John was one of the first to whom the new laws of the time of the "military special operation" were tried on. On March 6, after the service, it drew up a protocol under Part 1 of Art. 20.3.3 Code of Administrative Offenses - for a preaching and a link to a petition against hostilities posted on a parish site.

On March 7, the court was supposed to take place, but the production was excited at the place, so to speak, the commission of the act in the territory where the temple is located. And the father lives in another area. Therefore, as he said “new”, today they agreed to be conveyed by territoriality, which means that the verdict is postponed so far. We talked with Father John after his visit to the court.

- What was the sermon about?

- There were no political calls in my sermon. There are exclusively gospel words that were spoken two thousand years ago, and some even earlier, for example, the Old Testament commandment “not to kill”. I do not pursue any personal goals, self -interest and so on, I just see my parishioners in front of me.

I told them that the most important thing now is not to let hatred into the hearts. This is the worst thing that could be - if we begin to hate each other,

Because it will entail even more violence and new hatred. It will simply be impossible to get out of the closed circle.

I do not welcome the murder of other people, and this is not only one country. This applies to both sides: Russian, Ukrainians, and any other people who go to shed human blood. It doesn’t matter to the church for which, sin remains a sin in any case, we are not talking about the causes, admissibility and inadmissibility now. This is another question, separate. We speak, in principle, about the attitude of the church towards the murder. This is a curse that falls on a person.

- You decided on this sermon, realizing the risk?

- In principle, I believe that life is a number of situations in which God puts us, and man makes his choice. Each is determined, everyone manifests itself. As at the institute: there are seminars and lectures, but there are exams.

The situation in which we live now, in my opinion, is an exam.

The question is not even our rightness or wrong.

“Have you been ready for persecution?”

- Well, there are no special persecution yet. And then, I am 50 years old, at this age it is strange to be naive.

“Do you know who conveyed to you?”

- I can guess - there was ten people in the temple. But I will not find out - I am not interested. The man made a choice. We may not like someone, anyone has the right to this, this is his self-determination. This is the freedom that is given by God.

This is the tragedy of freedom that a person carries.