Church leaders: We forgive Pussy Riot trio – but it was right to prosecute them
By Will Stewart, Mailonline
Two of the most senior clerics in the Russian Orthodox Church have said they forgive members of the punk band Pussy Riot jailed for a cathedral protest against Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The three performers were sentenced to two years in a labour camp on Friday after being convicted of hooliganism driven by racial hatred, for performing a 50-second ‘punk prayer’ in Christ the Saviour Cathedral, Moscow, in February.
But Tikhon Shevkunov, head of the Moscow Sretensky Monastery and widely believed to be the Russian president’s spiritual counsellor, told state television the church forgave band members Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, Maria Alyokhina, 24, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 30.
‘The church has been accused of not forgiving them,’ the cleric said. ‘We did forgive them from the very start. But such actions should be cut short by society and authorities.’
His view was shared by Archpriest Maxim Kozlov: ‘We are praying and hoping these young women and all the people shouting in front of the court building realise their acts are awful. And despite this the church is asking for mercy within the limits of law.’
Both clerics supported the court’s decision to prosecute Pussy Riot, despite an international outcry. Governments, including those in Britain, the US and Germany, denounced the sentences as disproportionate.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
