This is the moment a Russian priest takes to the skies in a rickety biplane to pour 70 litres of holy water over the city to ‘purge’ it from “alcohol and fornication.”
The ‘sin city’ in question was Tver in the western Russian region of Tver Oblast and the priest flew overhead in a Soviet-era Antonov An-2 biplane with 70 litres of holy water and an array of religious relics including a chalice and an icon of Saint John the Baptist.
Video credit: CEN/@tvernews.ru
Reports said that Russian Orthodox priest Alexander Goryachev and two other clergymen took to the skies to perform the aerial blessing on All-Russian Sobriety Day, which is celebrated every 11th September.
Referring to alcoholism, Goryachev explained: “Any disease is from a virus, and a virus is a demon. Therefore, any disease is primarily a spiritual disease.”
When the plane reached an altitude of 200 to 300 metres (656 to 984 feet), the All-Russian Sobriety Day blessings began.
Goryachev responded to critics who were sceptical of the aerial blessing, telling local media: “Where is the joke? That we are trying to help people get rid of diseases? We want to stop alcohol consumption, drugs and fornication, is this really laughable?”
He then added: “Let them laugh, we will continue with our work.”
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Story By: Anna Casap, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News
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