The Russian Orthodox Church has announced it is to sever ties with the main protestant churches in France and Scotland over the “moral issue” of same-sex marriage, reports Radio Free Europe.

On Wednesday, the Moscow Patriarchate said that “formal contacts” with the the Scottish and French churches were pointless after France’s United Protestant Church voted to allow pastors to bless same-sex marriages and the Church of Scotland announced it would ordain gay clergy in civil partnerships.

In 2005, the Moscow Patriarchate ended ties with the U.S. Episcopal Church after it consecrated an openly gay bishop. In 2005, ties with Sweden’s Lutheran Church were cut after it sanctioned ceremonies for civil unions.

The Russian Orthodox Church has been a vocal supporter of Russia’s anti-gay laws. In 2014, Patriarch Kirill (right) asked lawmakers to implement state-level bans on “any attempt” to legalize same-sex marriage.    

Watch a Pravda report on Kirill’s extreme anti-gay views, AFTER THE JUMP…