Archimandrite Simeon Tomachinsky, an associate professor at the Moscow Theological Academy, reported that German authorities denied him a visa to participate in a religious forum in Cologne because he represents a “hostile organization“ – the Russian Orthodox Church.
“I was denied a German Schengen visa with the following explanation: “One or more member states consider you a threat to public order or internal security“. When I asked for an explanation from a consular officer, they told me that I belonged to a hostile organization,“ wrote Father Simeon on his Telegram channel.
“To my question: “Is the Russian Orthodox Church a hostile organization?“, the answer was affirmative,“ he noted.
Father Simeon explained that he had been officially invited by representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad to the Congress of Orthodox Youth in Germany, which will be held in Cologne from June 3 to 7. The congress, Simeon added, “has been held for many years and priests from Russia have always participated“.
According to him, the documents – official invitations with signatures in German from clergymen who are German citizens – “were presented to the German consulate, along with purchased tickets and other necessary information“.
“It is difficult for me to attribute the refusal of a visa for participation in purely religious events to any merit of mine. Although it is certainly a kind of recognition. But it rather looks like open discrimination against the Russian Orthodox Church. The persecution of the Church has expanded its borders, from Ukraine to the entire European Union“, concluded the priest.