Archbishop of Finland: “There is no such thing as an Orthodox nuclear weapon” – Sharp criticism of Patriarch Kirill

Archbishop Elia of Finland has strongly criticized Patriarch Kirill of Moscow over his recent sermon on St. Seraphim of Sarov, arguing that “the Church must not be used to legitimize weapons of mass destruction.”

In a public statement, the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Finland contrasted the life of St. Seraphim—devoted to prayer and peace—with the transformation of Sarov into the center where the Soviet Union developed its first nuclear weapon.

Referring to Patriarch Kirill’s sermon, delivered on August 1 at the Holy Trinity–St. Seraphim Monastery in Diveyevo, Archbishop Elia noted that the Patriarch claimed it was no coincidence that “the Soviet nuclear weapon was developed in the very place where the saint had prayed,” implying that the saint’s intercessions contributed to the creation of Russia’s nuclear program.

The Archbishop firmly rejected this interpretation, calling it a “political agenda” rather than an expression of  Orthodox theology. He stressed that “it is appalling that he attaches the name of Seraphim of Sarov to the blessing of a weapon of mass destruction.”

Quoting St. Seraphim’s well-known words, “acquire peace of soul, and thousands around you will…