Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, has denounced gender transitioning as a "horrifying trend" and "a sin," attributing it to the West's alleged abandonment of faith and rejection of traditional moral principles.

In his annual Christmas interview with Russia 1 television, Kirill criticised Western societies for embracing transgender rights, which he argued contradicted divine law. Orthodox Christians in Russia celebrate Christmas on January 7, in accordance with the Julian calendar.

“We represent a civilisational challenge to many in the West, who have abandoned faith and rejected the fundamental principles of human morality,” he told the state-run TV network. “I won’t delve too much into the horrifying trends, such as gender changes and so on – there’s already an apocalyptic stench about it”

Kirill, whose secular name is Vladimir Gundyayev, is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and has frequently echoed Kremlin narratives in his sermons. Putin has cited transgender rights in Western nations as emblematic of moral decay and, alarmingly, as partial justification for the potential use of nuclear weapons in the conflict with Ukraine.

Until 2023, Russian law permitted individuals to legally change their gender markers on official documents such as birth certificates and passports following approval from a medical commission. Neither hormone therapy nor surgery was required. However, in July 2023, legislation banned all forms of gender-affirming healthcare, including surgeries, and revoked the possibility of altering gender markers. The law also invalidated marriages where one partner had transitioned and prohibited transgender individuals from adopting children.

In his interview, Kirill framed gender transitioning as part of a broader ideological conflict between traditional values anchored in faith and what he views as a morally declining West. 

"This is not normal; this is sin. It goes against God's law," Kirill told Russia 1, adding that such practices threaten Russia’s cultural and spiritual heritage.

Citing the Apostle Paul, Kirill characterised the issue as a spiritual battle “against the rulers of the darkness of this world,” and claimed that Russia serves as a bastion of faith and cultural resilience in contrast to the West. He praised the Russian population's enduring religiosity, describing it as a key source of national strength.

“Today, people coming from the West, well-meaning people trying to understand what’s happening in Russia, are most surprised by how alive religious faith is among our people,” Kirill said, asserting that this contrasts with Western societies, where secularism and moral crises dominate.

The interview came shortly after Kirill held a Christmas service at Moscow’s Christ the Saviour Cathedral, rebuilt in the centre of the city on the site of a swimming pool demolished in the 1990s. In his sermon, Kirill voiced his support for Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. He blessed religious icons and crosses inscribed with Putin’s initials for distribution to soldiers deployed in the conflict.

In his speech, Kirill accused the West of harbouring animosity towards Russia for its alternative civilisational model. 

"Physically, they cannot really smother us, though they try through different types of slander and the creation of blocs of some sort intended to weaken Russia," he said.

In his recent book For Holy Rus, Kirill promised “eternal life” to soldiers killed on the front lines, further intertwining religious rhetoric with state-backed military objectives.