Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, recently suggested a possible endorsement of the death penalty, indicating that neither the Church nor Jesus Christ explicitly opposed it.
The statement was made during a meeting with Russian soldiers involved in the ongoing conflict with Ukraine, according to United24 Media.
When questioned about his stance on the death penalty in Russia, Kirill responded that it has existed throughout human history and that Jesus himself did not condemn it, despite being a victim of it.
"The Church has never insisted on abolishing this punishment,” he stated, adding that scriptures advocate for "removing evil" from society.
Citing the New Testament, Kirill referenced the verse “Remove the evil from among yourselves,” suggesting that in extreme cases, eliminating a societal threat could be justified.
“Do we have life imprisonment now? Let it be so. I just don’t know which is better for a person,” he concluded.
As Patriarch since 2009, Kirill has been a prominent supporter of Russian state policies and has publicly backed the government’s military actions, including the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
