The Russian Orthodox Church is reconsidering the popular practice of priests blessing weapons including nuclear missiles.

A document drafted by a commission on church law last week recommended that clergy perform benedictions for soldiers rather than military equipment.

“The commission's opinion is that in terms of church tradition we can talk about blessing a warrior to perform military service in defence of the fatherland,” Savva Tutunov, the bishop of Zelenograd and deputy head of affairs for the Russian church, wrote on the Telegram messenger service. “His personal weapons are blessed namely because they are connected with the one receiving the blessing. For this reason, weapons of mass destruction and personal weapons in general should not be sanctified.”

Mr Tutunov admitted that this conclusion contravenes current practice and had to be rewritten after heated debate within the commission. The document must still be discussed by top church officials before it becomes doctrine.

In recent years, Russian Orthodox priests have often been seen chanting prayers and casting holy water on arms like S-400 surface-to-air missiles in Crimea and intercontinental and short-range ballistic missiles taking part in the victory day parade on Red Square. They have also blessed assault rifles, fighter jets and nuclear submarines.