German authorities refused to issue a Schengen visa to Archimandrite Simeon Tomachinskiy of the Russian Orthodox Church. The refusal was explained as a potential threat to internal security.
This was reported by the outlet Sota, which cites Simeon himself.
“Today I received a refusal for a German Schengen visa with the following wording: ‘One or more Member States consider that you pose a threat to public order or internal security.’ When I asked a consulate employee for clarification, I was told that I belong to a hostile organization. To my question, ‘Is the Russian Orthodox Church a hostile organization?’ the answer was affirmative,” the archimandrite wrote on social media.
The 52-year-old archimandrite had planned to take part in a congress of Orthodox youth in Germany.
“It is hard for me to attribute the visa refusal for participation in purely religious events to any personal merits of mine. Although, of course, it is in some sense a form of recognition. But more than that, it looks like open discrimination against the Russian Orthodox Church. Persecution of the Church has expanded its boundaries, from Ukraine to the entire European Union,” the archimandrite stated.
Tomachinskiy is known for supporting narratives of Russian propaganda: he compares fallen Ukrainian soldiers to sinners in hell, does not recognize the autocephalous Orthodox Church of Ukraine, and expresses admiration for Putin’s decisions.