Christoforos Schuff

On April 10, 2016, Schuff was arrested for demonstrating without a permit in front of the Norwegian Parliament (Storting) together with five other demonstrators. Schuff and the other demonstrators submitted peacefully to the arrest. They were released April 11, 2016, charged with holding an unlawful demonstration and for refusing to obey police officer orders. Schuff was convicted by the District Court of Oslo. For ideological reasons, Schuff has refused to pay the 11,000 Norwegian kroner (NOK) fine. According to Schuff, the peaceful demonstration was intended to cast light upon the situation of refugees and asylum seekers in Norway and Europe following a law proposal making the criteria for seeking and receiving asylum in Norway much stricter. Several weeks later Schuff spoke at a parliamentary hearing on this proposal. According to the newspaper Vårt Land, it had been almost thirty years since the last time a priest had been arrested for a political demonstration in Norway. While Schuff appealed the conviction, citing the right to freedom of speech and the freedom of assembly, as stated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, his appeal was rejected. Eventually Schuff will have to spend twenty-two days in jail for the conviction.

In January 2013 it was revealed in an interview in Fædrelandsvennen that Schuff had been diagnosed with Follicular lymphoma in the Fall of 2012, a form of cancer which, while indolent, is generally considered medically incurable after Stage I.

He is known for promoting sustainable living and for advocating for fair and equal treatment of often marginalized groups such as immigrants, refugees, indigenous peoples and the poor. In the Fall of 2010 he allowed a Serbian family from Kosovo to receive church asylum in his home, which also housed a chapel. He started the organization "Filoxenos" in 2013, focusing on work with the Romani people, beggars, immigrants and refugees. He has been noted for his role in the refugee crisis on Lesbos. He has been active in the anti-war movement through his music and art, speeches and writings and he often ends his appearances with the phrase: "Fuck injustice and God damn the war!". In 2013, Schuff received the Focus Award (Fokusprisen) from the deacons' association of the Norwegian Church, for his work with homeless Romani immigrants. In 2015 he was given the Bridgebuilder Award (Brobyggerprisen) by the Norwegian Church Academy (Norske kirkeakademier) for his civic engagement for the poor. On MLK Day 2017 he was awarded the MLK Non-Violence Prize (Ikkevoldsprisen), for his participation in non-violent political demonstrations, his "fearless stances" and work with the poor and refugees. He received the LGBT+ Pride Award in 2017 from the National Association for Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transgender People of Southern Norway.

As a musician and singer, Schuff uses the pseudonyms "JustX" and "Chris Padrino". He periodically appears with his wife, using the name "Simpleminded". Some of his music is characterized by social political messages, where he periodically uses profanity, such as in his anti-war song "God damn the war"(2010) and several of his raps, including "War and More" (2011). His music receives periodic radio play on NRK. Schuffs art has been featured in a number of exhibitions, with his art expressing social and political messages. Schuff has also done minor voiceover work for various film projects, such as for the film Yohan: The Child Wanderer and in the documentary "Med rett til å kapre", broadcast on NRK. Schuff appeared in a cameo role in the series Okkupert, broadcast on TV2 and streamed on Netflix.

Schuff attended several non-denominational churches in the Sacramento area throughout his childhood and youth. From 2001 Schuff resided for extended periods of time annually at the Saint Ignatios Monastery (Limonos Monastery) on the Greek Island of Lesvos where he was baptized in 2006. He was ordained a deacon under the Archdiocese of Russian Orthodox churches in Western Europe in Paris in 2007 and a priest in 2008 in Oslo.

In 2000 Schuff married the Norwegian Hildegunn Marie Tønnessen, they moved to Norway shortly thereafter and have three children together. He and his family have previously lived extended periods of time in Greece since 2001. In the Fall of 2017 he filed for separation and the divorce was finalized in 2018. Following the separation he has shared custody of their three common children. Schuff married Helene Harstad on Sicily in May 2019. For ideological reasons, Schuff does not own a personal vehicle and he currently resides in a cabin in the forest of Greipstad in Songdalen in Southern Norway.

Schuff was enrolled in two private, Christian schools until completing middle school and graduated from Rio Americano High School in 1997. He has a master's degree in religious studies from the University of Agder in Norway, a graduate diploma in music pedagogy from the Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs of Greece, in addition to undergraduate studies in subjects such as linguistics, history, pedagogy and organic agriculture. He is a certified teacher (lektor) in Norway.

Christoforos Schuff (born February 6, 1979 in Sacramento, California as Christopher Michael Schuff) is a former Greek-Orthodox priest, musician and artist, recognized for his humanitarian work and social activism. He has held discourses on religion and society, social justice, human rights and participates in inter-faith dialogue. Schuff has appeared in the media regularly, especially in Norway and Greece, since 2006. He has been the subject of several documentaries and in various programs in Europe and the United States for his work with refugees.