Archimandrite Kirill Govorun, a former cleric of the Moscow Eparchy of the Russian Orthodox Church, a theologian of Ukrainian origin, a citizen of Ukraine, and a theological consultant to Patriarch Kirill. Since the beginning of Russian aggression against Ukraine in 2014, he has not been on Russian territory, although he continued to belong to the Russian Orthodox Church canonically.
Since the beginning of full-scale aggression in 2022, Govorun took a pro-Ukrainian position. He condemned the leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church and accused Patriarch Kirill of the ‘Russian world’ heresy.
On 25 September 2023, Govorun was expelled from the ministry by decree of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow. The reason for the ban was specified as concelebration “with the bishops and clergy of the Church of Constantinople the Eucharistic communion with which was interrupted by the decision of the Holy Synod due to a gross invasion of the canonical territory of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.”
On 31 October 2023, the court of the Moscow eparchy decided to defrock Govorun. Patriarch Kirill of Moscow approved this decision by decree on 29 December 2023. The decree was officially published only on 17 January 2024.
