The Mercedes must go, Russian Orthodox leader tells big-spending mother superior

Mother Superior Feofaniya was told by Patriarch Kirill to give up her Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan
Mother Superior Feofaniya was told by Patriarch Kirill to give up her Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan
VYACHESLAV PROKOFYEV/TASS

The head of the Russian Orthodox Church has ordered the abbess of a Moscow convent to give up her £100,000 car and direct public donations towards charitable work rather than extravagant purchases.

It is the latest attempt by Patriarch Kirill to tackle claims of profligacy among the clergy.

Mother Superior Feofaniya, 55, has run the Pokrovsky convent since 1995 and is also in charge of an Orthodox school and two hotels run by the church. President Putin awarded her the state medal “For Merit to the Fatherland” in 2018.

This month a Russian website uncovered the fact that she had acquired an expensive Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan in 2016, prompting criticism on social media. It is a far cry from the humble beginnings of her monastic