Eastern Serbian Diocese Denounces The Hill for 'Blatantly False' Claim About Bsp. Irinej

His Grace Bishop Irinej. Photo: easterndiocese.org

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In an exclusive statement to the Union of Orthodox Journalists of America (UOJ-USA) from the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Eastern America, an article published on Monday by Laura Kelly of The Hill was criticized for having a "blatantly misleading title" and for reporting that His Grace Bishop Irinej met with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

 "This allegation is patently wrong," the diocese said to UOJ-USA. "His Grace Bishop Irinej, Bishop of Washington-New York and Eastern America, has never met with Vladimir Putin. Neither did he accompany His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Porfirije to Moscow in April 2025. The implication is egregious and tantamount to defamation."

The statement also says that, whereas Bishop Irinej supports efforts to "defend the basic human rights, religious freedom notwithstanding, of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church and its faithful who are suffering unprecedented persecution in Ukraine," he appointed the V. Rev. Protopresbyter Vasilije Vranic, Dean of Washington, D.C., to represent him at Tuesday's meetings on Capitol Hill.

 "The American public deserves news with a much higher standard of accuracy and truth than what The Hill has demonstrated in the article by Kelly," the diocese said. "The Eastern American Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church trusts that The Hill will take appropriate action against those responsible for the hastily concocted smear campaign against its Bishop, and publish a second, more accurate correction."

The statement can be read in full below: 

American Serbs were astonished to read in an article written by Laura Kelly and published by the news portal The Hill on November 17, 2025, under the blatantly misleading title, “White house to meet clergy with ties to pro-war Russian Orthodox Church”, that Bishop Irinej of Washington-New York and Eastern America of the Serbian Orthodox Church was reported as having met with the Russian President, Vladimir Putin.
 
This allegation is patently wrong. His Grace Bishop Irinej, Bishop of Eastern America, has never met with Vladimir Putin. Neither did he accompany His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Porfirije to Moscow in April 2025. The implication is egregious and tantamount to defamation.
 
Whereas Bishop Irinej supports the efforts of young enthusiasts to defend the basic human rights, religious freedom notwithstanding, of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church and its faithful, who are suffering unprecedented persecution in Ukraine, he could not be personally present at the meetings in Washington, DC. In his stead, he appointed V. Rev. Protopresbyter Dr. Vasilije Vranic, Dean of Washington DC, to represent him.
 
The American public deserves news with a much higher standard of accuracy and truth than what The Hill has demonstrated in the article by Kelly.
 
The Eastern American Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church trusts that The Hill will take appropriate action against those responsible for the hastily concocted smear campaign against its Bishop, and publish a second, more accurate correction.

Previously, UOJ reported that Protopresbyter Vasilije Vranic — priest at St. Luke Serbian Orthodox Church in the nation's capital and Dean of the Washington Deanery under His Grace Bishop Irinej — has spoken out about yesterday's comments made by U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson in which he said Orthodox Christians in America "could serve as vehicles" of foreign influence.

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