Ousted Russian Orthodox Church cleric assails Russian elites

FILE - In this file photo taken on Sunday, July 22, 2012, Father Vsevolod Chaplin, chairman of the Synodal Department for the Cooperation of Church and Society of the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church, speaks to the media before a rally in Moscow, Russia. Father Vsevolod Chaplin, who headed Moscow Patriarchate’s department for the cooperation between the church and society since 2009, has been released of his duties and his department has been disbanded. The church explained its decision Thursday by the need to increase efficiency and streamline its structure. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev, file) FILE - In this file photo taken on Sunday, July 22, 2012, Father Vsevolod Chaplin, chairman of the Synodal Department for the Cooperation of Church and Society of the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church, speaks to the media before a rally in Moscow, Russia. Father Vsevolod Chaplin, who headed Moscow Patriarchate’s department for the cooperation between the church and society since 2009, has been released of his duties and his department has been disbanded. The church explained its decision Thursday by the need to increase efficiency and streamline its structure. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev, file)

By Associated Press December 25, 2015 1 min read

MOSCOW (AP) – A priest who lost his high-level job at the Russian Orthodox Church has assailed Russia’s “immoral elites” and predicted a national catastrophe if the country fails to allow free public discussion.

Father Vsevolod Chaplin, who headed the Moscow Patriarchate’s department for cooperation between church and society, was relieved of his duties Thursday and his department was disbanded. The church explained the move by citing the need to increase efficiency.

Following his ouster, Chaplin criticized Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill for failing to listen to critical voices and predicted that he would be replaced soon.

Chaplin told a news conference Friday that Russia would face an “inevitable catastrophe” if the authorities fail to allow “live discussion and live public process,” according to the Interfax news agency.