By Madeline Schiesser
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe
TAMBOV, Russia – A former deacon in the city of Tambov has been defrocked for his support of the Russian punk bank, Pussy Riot, and their “punk prayer” stunt in Moscow’s main Russian Orthodox cathedral in February. In an open letter, Sergei Baranov resigned in August in protest of the Russian Orthodox Church’s stance against three members of the band. His subsequent defrocking will likely become official within weeks.
Baranov was the first Russian Orthodox cleric to resign in outrage at how the church dealt with the members of Pussy Riot.
“Everyone prays as they can,” Baranov said, explaining his support of Pussy Riot. “And with their act they exposed the ills and blisters of society. We should have done that a long time ago.”
Baranov feels that the church handled Pussy Riot’s protest heavy handedly. He feels that the church’s actions show that it cares more for president Putin and the government than the needs of its believers. Its reaction to the protest demonstrates that the church is overdue for serious reform.
In his open letter, Baranov further explained that the “unlawful sentence to the members of the Pussy Riot band [] was passed with direct influence of the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church and the people who, by some strange accident, call themselves ‘orthodox citizens.”
Tambov regional clergy answered, accusing Baranov of rakish behavior and using the current rocky political climate and the Pussy Riot trial as an excuse to resign.
Unrest has grown in Russia since Vladimir Putin’s re-election to a third presidential term in March. He received strong support from the conservative Russian Orthodox Church, which characterized Putin as a “miracle of God.”
Pussy Riot’s February “punk prayer” at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow was directed as a protest against President Putin. Three of its members were arrested, found guilty of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred, and sentenced to two years in a penal colony prison. Russians are sharply divided over what some see as a government crackdown on dissent.
Other figures in Russia have also spoken out against the harsh treatment the Pussy Riot members. Prime Minister Dmitri A. Medvedev, while clarifying that he does not approve of their stunt, has called for leniency with respect to the three imprisoned members, arguing that they should be released.
It is possible the church will further purge Baranov by requesting his excommunication. If this happens, Baranov will no longer be permitted to take any part in the services he has loved since childhood.
“When the media furor dies down, they will simply excommunicate me from Church,” Baranov said. “Once this happens, I won’t have the right to enter a church, I will lose the right to communion.” Even so, Baranov says he does not regret his resignation.
For further information, please see:
BBC News – Pussy Riot Supporter Priest to be Defrocked – 19 September 2012
Huffington Post – Sergei Baranov, Orthodox Russian Deacon, Stands Up For Pussy Riot – 18 September 2012
International Herald Tribune – Medvedev Says Rockers Have Served Enough Jail Time for Cathedral Performance – 12 September 2012
Impunity Watch – Two Members of Pussy Riot Flee Russia to Avoid Prosecution – 27 August 2012
Russia Today (RT) – Russian Church Denies Claims it Held own Pussy Riot Trial – 20 August 2012
Impunity Watch – Members of Punk Band to Continue Their Protest While Awaiting Band Mates’ Verdict – 14 August 2012
