Sweden Exposes Network of Nuns Working for Russian Intelligence

[Swede]

The report says the revelations prompted the Church of Sweden, known for its openness and tolerance, to issue an official warning to other Catholic communities.

The warning concerns nuns from the St. Elizabeth Monastery, who in Sweden were informally dubbed “Z-nuns”.

According to the statement, the Sisters of St. Elizabeth used their income to support Russian nationalism and Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and maintained close ties with the GRU.

https://militarnyi.com/en/news/sweden-exposes-network-of-nuns-working-for-russian-intelligence/

[ForgoTheConsequence]

1. What does this have to do with Catholic Nuns?

They are a Russian Orthodox convent.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

2. Poorly spun article. Here's one that makes more sense.

https://archive.ph/sXo04

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/01/18/pro-putin-spy-nuns-infiltrating-sweden/

Dressed in white headscarves and bearing crosses, the sisters of St Elisabeth Convent were a picture of innocence as they sold trinkets to Swedish churchgoers last Christmas.

There was certainly nothing odd about the nuns for parishioners in Täby, an affluent suburb near Stockholm. After all, the rector himself had given the nuns permission to set up their table in the church hallway.

But in the murky world of Russia’s hybrid war campaign, appearances can be deceptive – and, as the rector of Täby was about to learn, these were no ordinary “nuns”.

As the Church of Sweden would later warn in a press release, the nuns were actually fundraisers from a notorious Belarusian convent that supports the invasion of Ukraine and has links to GRU, Russia’s military intelligence unit.

[GiqueCee]

3. That's no surprise...

... history has shown that the Church has never been enamored of personal freedom or self-determination.

Pope Pius XII showed at least tacit support for Hitler during WWII when he refused to condemn the Nazis or their atrocities, so nuns betraying the faithful of Sweden by ratting them out to the GRU isn't much of a stretch. Just chalk up another black mark for the Catholic Church; they must have a little space on the wall for one more.

Though attribution is disputed by some, decades ago I read that H.L. Mencken said, "Religion is the greatest fomenter of hatred and intolerance in the history of humanity." Listening to televangelists in this country today supporting Trump from their pulpits, it's obvious that he was right.

On edit: While I was writing, other posters revealed that the "nuns" were from Belarus, but religions are not always restricted by borders, and these women did exploit a Catholic Church. Mencken did not single out a specific denomination for condemnation, but included them all. I'm inclined to agree with him. I taught Sunday School until I Saw the Light.

[ForgoTheConsequence]

4. These aren't Catholic nuns.

They are Russian Orthodox nuns from Belarus.

[obamanut2012]

6. Not RC nuns

[hlthe2b]

9. To apply that history to the current Pope Leo is just WRONG. Not to mention these were not

Roman Catholic nuns.

Yes, the Popes of old certainly enabled some horrible regimes, but not Francis, not Leo.

[GiqueCee]

15. I never made any mention of the current Pope...

... but history speaks for itself.

[hlthe2b]

16. I was prepared to let it go, not being particularly religious myself, but damn NO! YOU SAID:

"... history has shown that the Church has never been enamored of personal freedom or self-determination."

NEVER means NEVER and thus IS inclusive of Pope Francis and current Pope Leo. At least be forthright about what you said if you are going to deride an entire religion and its 1.4 billion adherents worldwide.

[SocialDemocrat61]

10. The situation during WWII was a bit more complex than that

You should read more about it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Pius_XII_and_the_Holocaust

[SocialDemocrat61]

5. Some are still on the loose ;)

[niyad]

8. I loved that movie!

[hlthe2b]

7. I see these are not Roman Catholic nuns, so not sure who has influence over them...

[SocialDemocrat61]

11. What secrets are there to steal in Sweden?

How to read IKEA instructions?

[Swede]

12. Sweden is a NATO ally, so lots of shared intel.

nt

[SocialDemocrat61]

13. I was kidding.

[LearnedHand]

14. Of all the unexpected thread titles, this one is among the best

I honestly expected The Onion.

[GJGCA]

17. Nunpossible!!