**The ministers of the Baku diocese have lost their peace after new appointments accompanied by scandals. This time, the discontent is caused by the actions of the new bishop Alexy Smirnov. The newly appointed head of the Baku and Azerbaijan diocese, Bishop Alexy, who arrived in Baku on June 15 this year, is blackmailing local priests by depriving them of awards and conducting a strict exam for professional suitability, demanding that they read prayers in the name of Russia’s victory over Ukraine. One of the ministers of the diocese, who wished to remain anonymous, told** [**Minval.az**](http://Minval.az) **about this.**
He noted that on July 6, Metropolitan Kirill Pokrovsky of Stavropol, known for his ultra-patriotic views, in the presence of the clergy of the diocese, made a toast “for the return of the Baku diocese to its native harbor,” greeting the new Baku Bishop Alexy Smirnov.
What harbor did the Stavropol Metropolitan, who is today the main propagandist of the Russian armed forces, have in mind?
According to experts, Kirill is known for his “ultra-patriotic rhetoric and extensive anti-Western conspiracy theories.” In 2022, he supported Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, broadcasting narratives of anti-Ukrainian propaganda, and stated that “today Ukraine is at war with Nazism, with Satanism, with the Antichrist.” And so, his student Alexei Smirnov, from the very first days of his stay in Baku, banned prayers for peace between Russia and Ukraine during church services, which had been done for the past three years.
At each service, the new bishop reads a prayer for Russia’s victory, without taking into account the fact that Azerbaijan takes a neutral position regarding the military conflict, and that the Orthodox flock are citizens of Azerbaijan, for whom the question of military invasion is far from speculative and abstract.
On September 21 and 22, during the services, Smirnov gave instructions to the deacons to pronounce prayers for the victory of the Russian army, to which the local clergy responded with a categorical refusal. In response, Smirnov threatened the Baku priests with depriving them of their awards and promised to arrange a professional suitability test for them.
In other words, by politicizing the ministry in the Baku diocese, the Moscow protégé is trying to create an atmosphere of intolerance, fully understanding that this is contrary to the convictions and principles of multicultural Azerbaijan, which has always tried to be objective and expressed its commitment to the principle of territorial integrity in conflict issues. And even more so when it comes to the church, whose main goal is to save people, and not interfere in the affairs of the state. And here is such a demand from the Baku clergy.
Representatives of different nations and religious confessions live in peace and harmony in Azerbaijan, and this is the result of a competent state policy.
For its part, the editorial board is ready to publish the point of view of the head of the Baku and Azerbaijan Diocese.
Common_Brick_8222 on
It seems to me or a bishop should not blackmail priests so that they read prayers for the victory of a country that attacked another country. Religion should not touch politics in general.
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# Translation of original article:
**The ministers of the Baku diocese have lost their peace after new appointments accompanied by scandals. This time, the discontent is caused by the actions of the new bishop Alexy Smirnov. The newly appointed head of the Baku and Azerbaijan diocese, Bishop Alexy, who arrived in Baku on June 15 this year, is blackmailing local priests by depriving them of awards and conducting a strict exam for professional suitability, demanding that they read prayers in the name of Russia’s victory over Ukraine. One of the ministers of the diocese, who wished to remain anonymous, told** [**Minval.az**](http://Minval.az) **about this.**
He noted that on July 6, Metropolitan Kirill Pokrovsky of Stavropol, known for his ultra-patriotic views, in the presence of the clergy of the diocese, made a toast “for the return of the Baku diocese to its native harbor,” greeting the new Baku Bishop Alexy Smirnov.
What harbor did the Stavropol Metropolitan, who is today the main propagandist of the Russian armed forces, have in mind?
According to experts, Kirill is known for his “ultra-patriotic rhetoric and extensive anti-Western conspiracy theories.” In 2022, he supported Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, broadcasting narratives of anti-Ukrainian propaganda, and stated that “today Ukraine is at war with Nazism, with Satanism, with the Antichrist.” And so, his student Alexei Smirnov, from the very first days of his stay in Baku, banned prayers for peace between Russia and Ukraine during church services, which had been done for the past three years.
At each service, the new bishop reads a prayer for Russia’s victory, without taking into account the fact that Azerbaijan takes a neutral position regarding the military conflict, and that the Orthodox flock are citizens of Azerbaijan, for whom the question of military invasion is far from speculative and abstract.
On September 21 and 22, during the services, Smirnov gave instructions to the deacons to pronounce prayers for the victory of the Russian army, to which the local clergy responded with a categorical refusal. In response, Smirnov threatened the Baku priests with depriving them of their awards and promised to arrange a professional suitability test for them.
In other words, by politicizing the ministry in the Baku diocese, the Moscow protégé is trying to create an atmosphere of intolerance, fully understanding that this is contrary to the convictions and principles of multicultural Azerbaijan, which has always tried to be objective and expressed its commitment to the principle of territorial integrity in conflict issues. And even more so when it comes to the church, whose main goal is to save people, and not interfere in the affairs of the state. And here is such a demand from the Baku clergy.
Representatives of different nations and religious confessions live in peace and harmony in Azerbaijan, and this is the result of a competent state policy.
For its part, the editorial board is ready to publish the point of view of the head of the Baku and Azerbaijan Diocese.
It seems to me or a bishop should not blackmail priests so that they read prayers for the victory of a country that attacked another country. Religion should not touch politics in general.