Russian Orthodox Church condemns abortion as murder, at odds with Putin

The Russian Orthodox Church reaffirmed its strict opposition to abortion this week, putting it at odds with the Kremlin's more relaxed position.

A spokesperson for the church released a statement on Wednesday clarifying that the Holy Synod — the church's governing body chaired by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow — condemns all elective abortion as murder.

"The Church unequivocally equates arbitrary surgical or medical abortion to murder, regardless of the gestational age and the manner in which it is carried out," said church spokesman Vladimir Legoyda, according to translations from the Moscow Times.

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"For that reason, the proclamation of the ‘right to an abortion,’ otherwise the ‘right to murder,’ is unacceptable," Legoyda added.

The church's comprehensive rejection of abortion puts it at odds with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has previously affirmed that women have a limited "right" to terminate their pregnancies.

Putin nixed a federal bill this month that would have outlawed private abortion clinics across Russia. 

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The president urged pregnant women considering abortion to "choose to keep the life of the child," but called on officials to "respect for the rights and freedoms of women."

Elective abortion is legal in Russia up to 12 weeks and under special circumstances up to 22 weeks.

Russia's Holy Synod urges the creation of crisis centers that can offer material support to pregnant women without sufficient resources to help them "fulfill their vocation as mothers after childbirth," according to Legoyda.

He added, "At the same time, without rejecting the women who have had an abortion, the Church calls on them to repent and to overcome the harmful consequences of sin through prayer and penance."

Putin has announced that he is running for re-election on March 17, which will almost certainly see him secure a fifth six-year term in office. A change to the country's constitution will allow him to run again in 2030, which could see his authority extend to 2036. He secured 76% of the vote in 2018, though international bodies question the democratic legitimacy of Russian elections.

Putin has held continuous positions as president or prime minister since 1999. He has been president since 2012, with his previous stint in office running from 2000 to 2008.