U.S. court upholds church autonomy in Russian Orthodox case

A federal appeals court on Tuesday upheld a Russian Orthodox church’s ability to select, discipline, and remove its leaders. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of church autonomy, according to the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which represented the church. The court dismissed claims from Alexander Belya, a priest in the American branch of the Russian Orthodox Church. In 2020, Belya sued the church and its leaders for defamation after they suspended him pending an investigation. The Russian Orthodox leaders contended that the church autonomy doctrine protected courts from second-guessing the ministry’s internal governance decisions.

What did the court’s opinion say? The appeals court sided with the Russian Orthodox church, stating that looking into Belya’s claims would violate the ministry’s religious rights. The church’s selection and supervision of its religious leaders are inherently religious acts protected by the First Amendment, the court said.

The church should be able to choose discipline leaders without interference from a court while leaning on the Holy Spirit’s guidance, stated Metropolitan Nicholas, the first hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church outside of Russia. The court’s ruling was a resounding victory for religious communities, added Diana Thomson, an attorney with Becket.

What was Belya’s side of the story? He previously argued that the church autonomy doctrine did not prevent his legal protection against defamation, according to Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which represented Belya. He claimed he was suspended due to false allegations of forgery that damaged his reputation. He sought legal protection against having his character dragged through the mud, the legal organization said.