Russian Orthodox priest faces expulsion for refusing to pray for war victory

A prominent liberal priest faces expulsion from the Russian Orthodox Church for refusing to read out a prayer asking God to guide Russia to victory over Ukraine.
In a verdict published on Saturday, a church court said Aleksiy Uminsky should be “expelled from holy orders” for violating his priestly oath. The decision was forwarded for approval to Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian church who strongly backs President Vladimir Putin.
The case shows how the church is clamping down on internal dissent as it throws its support behind Putin and his “special military operation” in Ukraine, now nearing the end of its second year.
The church court said Uminsky had broken his oath by refusing to read the “Prayer for Holy Rus” – an archaic name for Russia – which Kirill has made compulsory at church services.