Patriarch Kirill Blessed Russia's Nuclear Weapons

• 18.08.2026, 18:06

This is completely at odds with the position of other major religious leaders.

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia Kirill attributed the creation of the Soviet atomic bomb to God’s grace and the prayers of St. Seraphim of Sarov, according to CEPA.

According to Kirill, it was in Sarov that Soviet scientists developed the atomic weapon, which, he claims, prevented enemies from destroying and enslaving Russia. The patriarch stated that the appearance of these weapons in this location was no coincidence and occurred in part thanks to the prayers of Seraphim of Sarov, who died in 1833.

Kirill’s remarks stand in sharp contrast to the positions of other major religious leaders. Pope Leo XIV spoke out against nuclear weapons, stating that they could lead to catastrophe and are contrary to human dignity. The Dalai Lama has also repeatedly called for a world without nuclear weapons.
“The Russian Orthodox Church occupies an unusual position among religious organizations, openly supporting the country’s military might and nuclear arsenal,” the article states.

Kirill continues to publicly support Putin and the war against Ukraine. Earlier, the patriarch told Russian servicemen that those killed in combat could go straight to heaven.

“Such rhetoric creates a dangerous link between religion, the state, and weapons of mass destruction. If the use of conventional weapons against Ukraine is presented as the fulfillment of a state and religious mission, the question arises: where does this logic end?” the authors ask.

Kirill’s views are by no means shared by all Russians. He believes that changes to the country’s political system could, in the long run, prompt the Russian clergy to reconsider their close alliance with the state.