The Russian Orthodox power play

Posted By Gregory Shtraks Wednesday, March 11, 2009 - 6:58 PM Share

This morning Kommersant reported (in Russian) that a prominent council of religious associations will, for the first time, be chaired by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. The decision represents a major victory for the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) and is another sign of the church's increasing influence over the Russian state.

The Kremlin is seeking church support as a rapidly disintegrating economy has fueled internal dissent. The newly annointed Patriarch, Kirill, is believed to be more liberal and politically ambitious than his predecessor and may become a major player in the Russian government.

Still, Russia's troubled record on religious tolerance makes the prospect of a closer relationship between church and state a troubling one for religious minorities.

EXPLORE:RELIGION, RUSSIA
 

KROTHROCK

8:54 AM ET

March 12, 2009

What happened to the

What happened to the traditional narrative of the Russian state encroaching on the Church? How did the Russian Orthodox Church suddenly become the mover and the shaker? Because Putin let them build something in Italy?

 

ALEX.LUTA

11:12 AM ET

March 12, 2009

Hm, i am no Russian, but i

Hm, i am no Russian, but i did live under the ancien regime in Romania a while back, so i hope that my words do carry some weight. Briefly put, the *Romanian* orthodox church, persecuted as it was by the Communists, cooperated with the Securitate until the collapse of that regime - merely yet another cog in the great inward-oriented spying machine of the Romanian police state. The church regularly gets the vapors when the issue of opening up the Securitate files arises since - it is an open secret - it would strongly resent to have the extent of its collaboration with the secret police revealed.

I fail to see how Russia would be any different. Rather than positing the rise of a Russia theocracy, a shrewder observer would have simply noted that the Kremlin has managed to nationalize yet another institution. I mean, come on, your words say it yourself: "a prominent council of religious associations will, for the first time, be chaired by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev". Some victory for the church that is.

 

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