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Questioning Russia's Church: Why Sister Vassa won't give in

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Miodrag Soric
July 19, 2025

Patriarch Kirill I and the Russian Orthodox Church are staunch backers of Vladimir Putin and his war in Ukraine. Sister Vassa, a US-born nun of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, has faced serious consequences for her criticism.

In Moscow, Patriarch Kirill has given his blessing to Vladimir Putin's war of aggression against Ukraine, and many Russian Orthodox bishops have followed his lead. Meanwhile, in Rome, a courageous, previously Russian Orthodox nun has found herself "defrocked" after she spoke out against church leaders. But Sister Vassa refuses to give in. She has switched to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and continues to speak out against those who support Putin and the war. On social media, the US-born nun, who is an accomplished theologian with a doctorate in canon law, boasts hundreds of thousands of followers. A report by Miodrag Soric.

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