Russian Orthodox Church calls to mercy Pussy Riot girls

Russian Orthodox Church’s High Council made an official statement on the verdict of Pussy Riot band.
As it’s stated in the document, giving a legal assessment is beyond the Church’s competence. At the same time, High Council members stated that it’s the duty of the Church to give spiritual and moral assessment. “Whatever happened is deliberate discrediting blasphemy and sacrilege, which offends millions of people and their feelings. That’s why we can’t agree that it was an informal form of the prayer ...Cursing is a grave sin. An Orthodox Christian can’t curse and revile,” reads the official statement of Orthodox Church High Council.
The council members also applied to state agencies to evince mercy within the framework of law towards the accused. The statement is published in the official website of Russian Orthodox Church.