Masked Gunman Kills Russian Priest in Moscow Church

A masked gunman burst into a Russian Orthodox church in Moscow late on Thursday night, and shot the priest Daniil Sysoyev in the head.

The gunman approached Sysoyev and asked him to confirm his name, before opening fire. He also severely injured the choirmaster.

The priest died of several gunshot wounds on his way to hospital. The choirmaster is now in a stable situation, according to the Prosecutor-General’s office.

Daniil Sysoyev, who was in his mid-thirties, and originally from the mainly Muslim Russian republic of Tatarstan, was well known for his missionary work among Russian youngsters, and for attracting them into the Orthodox church.

The likely theory is that the shooting is related to the priest’s religious activities. He had been frequently criticized by Muslims and non-Orthodox Christians alike for his outspoken views on religion and politics.

"Investigators are looking at all possible versions, but we are inclined to think that the main motive of the crime was religious hatred," a spokesperson said.

“I received at least ten threats over email that they'll cut my head off,” Sysoyev had said in a TV program in February 2009. The missionary center he established officially confirmed these threats.

The dominant Orthodox Church has become an important political force in Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union, but Orthodox bishops have complained that other religious and occult sects have tried to make converts in their territory.

Officials of the Russian Orthodox Church have also complained in recent years about violence directed against churches and priests.