(11 Sep 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Vienna, Austria – 3 September 2025
1. Wide of Vienna street with trams
2. Wide of imperial palace
3. Mid of statue and palace
4. Close of statue
5. Wide of horse and buggy driving past
6. Mid of Austrian flag and EU flag
7. Close of Austrian flag
8. Mid of nun lighting candle
9. close of candle being lit in front of picture of Jesus
10. Mid of nun crossing herself
11. Close of Jesus icon and candle
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Vassa Larin, American nun:
“The Russian orthodox church outside Russia – this church jurisdiction as I said that I was born into, of which my father was a priest also of, this church jurisdiction actually made it impossible for me to remain just recently because first the synod of this church tried to silence me, to forbid me to do any internet activity that I’ve been doing for well over 10 years.”
13. Mid of nun putting down laptop on table
14. Close nun opening laptop
15. Mid of nun recording on laptop. AUDIO (English):
"Good morning everyone, this is Sister Vassa."
16. Close of laptop screen
17. Close of notes
18. SOUNDBITE (English) Vassa Larin, American nun:
“I do not get bullied by a church authority that has a problem with me stating my position as far as the Russian church is not orthodox teaching or heretical teaching in my point of view about this war against Ukraine being a holy war.”
19. Close of Jesus icon
20. SOUNDBITE (English) Vassa Larin, American nun:
“There have been documents or sermons said officially, by the Moscow patriarch, published on the Moscow patriarch’s page that express teachings that are backed up either by the holy scripture or other parts of orthodox Christian tradition to somehow support the propaganda of the Kremlin that is justifying this war.”
21. Mid of nun in kitchen
22. Close of nun
23. Mid of nun brewing coffee
24. close of coffee running into cup
25. SOUNDBITE (English) Vassa Larin, American nun:
“I wasn’t seeking to leave this church of my upbringing, into which I was born as I said. I wasn’t telling anybody to leave it nor was I planning to leave it. But it became impossible for me to exist, to be at all me. They literally said that I can’t use my name, which is sister Vassa.”
26. Close of coffee cup showing picture of sister Vassa
STORYLINE:
Before 2022, Sister Vassa Larin was best known as an Orthodox nun who taught thousands on YouTube about saints and holy days.
She became one of the most prominent female intellectuals in Orthodoxy — widely respected within the highly patriarchal religion where all clergy and bishops are male.
Then Russia invaded Ukraine. Larin publicly opposed it.
Eventually her bishop revoked her status as a nun.
He had essentially sought to silence her, ordering her to cease her media work, Larin said.
When she balked, he removed her as a nun.
That decision was ratified in May by the Synod of Bishops in the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, a jurisdiction within Eastern Orthodoxy known as ROCOR.
The official reason the bishops gave was “disobedience” — with no specifics.
But Larin has no doubt the real reason was her outspoken criticism of Moscow Patriarch Kirill, who has blessed Russia’s war effort, and others who have gone along with him.
Kirill has ultimate oversight over the New York-based ROCOR.
Compelled to speak out, Larin and her supporters say it’s the first known case of the Moscow church extending its punitive reach to an American Orthodox person who opposes its pro-war stance.
AP Video shot by Alex Schuller
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