New York, Sep 11 (AP) - Before 2022, Sister Vassa Larin was an Orthodox nun known for educating thousands on YouTube about saints and holy days. She became a notable female voice in Orthodoxy—an arena mainly dominated by male clergy and bishops.
Then, Russia invaded Ukraine, and Larin took a stand against it. Her outspoken opposition led to her bishop revoking her status as a nun. He essentially attempted to silence her, ordering her to halt her media activities. Refusing to comply, Larin saw her nun status stripped away. This decision was later affirmed in May by the Synod of Bishops in the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR), an Eastern Orthodoxy jurisdiction.
The formal reason given was “disobedience,” though specifics were lacking. Larin believes the true motive was her vocal criticism of Moscow Patriarch Kirill, who supported Russia's war efforts. Kirill oversees the New York-based ROCOR. Larin and her supporters claim this marks the first instance of the Moscow church punishing an American Orthodox individual for opposing its stance on the war. According to a Fordham University study, many dissenting Orthodox priests in Russia have already faced similar censure.
“I couldn't remain silent,” Larin, 54, shared in a Zoom interview from Vienna. “Patriarch Kirill manipulates religious language for political aims, a cynical and blasphemous act that's resulted in people dying.” ROCOR officials did not respond to multiple requests for comment over two weeks. Larin asserts that her removal is illegal under church law.
Wearing her black veil and cloak, Larin continues her life as a nun, now affiliated with the Kyiv-based Orthodox Church of Ukraine. She has been appointed a visiting professor at the Kyiv Orthodox Theological Academy. Her new supervising bishop, Metropolitan Yevstratiy Zoria, appreciates her “devotion to peacemaking and condemning Russian propaganda.”
Eastern Orthodoxy, the world's second-largest Christian community, is the majority faith in both Russia and Ukraine, united by common creeds and sacraments. However, the war has deepened internal divisions.
Russian President Vladimir Putin often aligns himself with Orthodox iconography, rationalizing the war partly through historical grievances of the Russian Orthodox Church. Kirill has required priests to pray for Russian victory and has claimed Russia's war dead receive forgiveness for their sins. He led a council declaring the invasion a holy war against a "Satanic" West.
ROCOR originated from Russian refugees escaping Communist repression in the early 20th century, including Larin's family. It operated independently during Communist rule, seeing Moscow's Orthodox leaders as compromised by Soviet influences. However, in 2007, ROCOR reconciled with the Russian Orthodox Church, maintaining some autonomy while submitting to the Moscow patriarch's ultimate authority.
ROCOR's website contains multiple calls for peace but not specific condemnations of Russia. Its bishops have regularly criticized Ukraine for attempting to ban the Ukrainian Orthodox Church due to alleged ties to Moscow. In Russia, at least 79 Orthodox Christians have been sanctioned or persecuted for opposing the war, says a Fordham University study. Sergei Chapnin, director at Fordham's Orthodox Christian Studies Centre, notes Moscow's pressure on US churches.
Larin's situation underscores Moscow's reach. “This isn't Russia,” she said of ROCOR. “They're under no obligation from any state authority and are supposedly in the free world. Yet, we now see church-sponsored suppression of an American citizen.”
And ROCOR isn't alone; the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), with roots linked to Russia, is also affected by this geopolitical fallout. Alaska Archbishop Alexei of the OCA warmly greeted Putin during a visit, a move Ukrainian-American Orthodox bishops called a “betrayal.” Alexei expressed regret for any anguish caused but did not apologize for the meeting itself. His superior clarified it didn't reflect the OCA's stance.
Putin is accused of war crimes by the International Criminal Court. The Rev. Cyril Hovorun, a critic of the invasion, sees parallels between the Alaska incident and Larin's ouster. “The Russian Church is trying to reinforce connections with churches historically linked to Moscow,” said Hovorun, now associated with the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople.
Hovorun admires Larin's conviction. “ROCOR has lost perhaps its only prophetic voice,” he said. Larin's journey began in Nyack, New York, as a priest’s daughter. Encouraged by her father, a ROCOR priest, she delved into Russian culture and Orthodoxy. During the Cold War thaw of the 1980s, she supported believers in Russia, advocating for Orthodoxy's revival.
Choosing faith over academia, she declined a scholarship to become a nun, joining a convent in France. She furthered her theological studies in Germany, eventually earning a doctorate and teaching in Austria. Her YouTube ministry, “Coffee with Sister Vassa,” combines Orthodoxy education with humor, amassing about 24,000 subscribers.
Previously, ROCOR bishops clashed with Larin's stance but didn't challenge her nun status. After the 2022 invasion, her videos adopted a more somber tone, denouncing church leaders who supported the invasion.
The conflict escalated with her new supervisor, Bishop Luke Murianka. In January, he emailed her, deeming her media work "spiritually harmful." He instructed her to retreat to a convent, effectively stifling her voice. Larin questioned the judgment, pointing out their lack of communication. Her continued defiance led to her removal from the nunnery.
“This isn't about hurting my feelings,” Larin stated. “They can't redefine morality at will.” (AP) SKS SKS
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