Any thoughts on religion in Russia from Poland?

Gleb Yakunin, a defrocked Priest and critic of the Moscow Patriarchate who was one of those who had access to the KGB archive documents in the early 1990s, argued that the Moscow Patriarchate was "practically a subsidiary, a sister company of the KGB".[33] Critics charge that the archives showed the extent of active participation of the top ROC hierarchs in the KGB efforts overseas.[34][35][36][37][38][39] George Trofimoff, the highest-ranking US military officer ever indicted for, and convicted of, espionage by the United States and sentenced to life imprisonment on September 27, 2001, had been "recruited into the service of the KGB"[40] by Igor Susemihl (a.k.a. Zuzemihl), a bishop in the Russian Orthodox Church (subsequently, a high-ranking hierarch - the ROC Metropolitan Iriney of Vienna, who died in July 1999[41]).

The Moscow Patriarchate has, however, consistently denied that its bishops were in fact KGB Agents.[42] Konstanin Kharchev, former chairman of Soviet Council on Religious Affairs, explained: "Not a single candidate for the office of bishop or any other high-ranking office, much less a member of Holy Synod, went through without confirmation by the Central Committee of the CPSU and the KGB".[37]

An expert on religion, Andrij Yurash, said to ZIK July 27 the visit to Ukraine of Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kiril has a political dimension which is part of the ideology pursued both by Kiril and the Russian regime. The essence of this ideology is that, insofar as Ukraine cannot be brought to the Russian fold politically, at least a spiritual noose should be tied.

cheehawThreads: 9 Posts: 831 Joined: Oct 10, 09	Oct 11, 09, 04:38 / #
The real reason I ended up here.. I have been researching what appears to be a loosening up of the atheism in Russia. From what I can tell from my research, Russian leaders are strongly backing, even promoting, the Orthodox church there. Does anyone have any experience with this or thoughts on it from Poland?

SeanusThreads: 22 Posts: 30,158 Joined: Dec 25, 07	Oct 11, 09, 14:23 / #
Well, research the aftermath of the Chechen War. The mujihadeen made it a religious issue and perhaps strengthened the allegiance of Russians to the Orthodox church. I know Fyodor Emelianenko is a follower and he influences many in Russia as the world's best fighter. They are close to Serbians in this way.

lesserThreads: 7 Posts: 2,014 Joined: Oct 19, 07	Oct 11, 09, 19:45 / #
This is good development unless the church become dependent from the state. This is strong point of Catholicism. Politicians usually try to use Orthodox churches to play their games. Even Stalin did it when National Socialists invaded the SU.

SeanusThreads: 22 Posts: 30,158 Joined: Dec 25, 07	Oct 11, 09, 19:49 / #
Riiiiiiiiight, and the Kaczyńskis have never referred to the Catechisms for their stance on homosexuality?? Come off it, lesser.

lesserThreads: 7 Posts: 2,014 Joined: Oct 19, 07	Edited by: lesser Oct 11, 09, 20:32 / #
I tend to doubt whether they are even Catholics. Most of PiS leadership are atheists. They referred to Catechism you say? Any source? One doesn't need to be a Catholic to oppose homo-parades. Anyway this is something else when politicians refer to teaching of the church and something else when politicians try to change traditional teaching of the church to serve their agenda.

Bratwurst BoyThreads: 11 Posts: 14,563 Joined: Apr 2, 07	Oct 11, 09, 21:22 / #
southern: A gay foreign minister will befriend easily all female foreign ministers and some male ones for sure. I would like to watch a private ministers tet-a-tet in this case.They will find solutions for most problems.(give me some military help if I...). Manno...that sounds like an upcoming very successful time for german foreign policy!

southernThreads: 116 Posts: 10,954 Joined: May 17, 07	Oct 11, 09, 22:38 / #
I imagine the german minister asking his equivalent in Poland:What about the gay rights in your country? Eh,hm well you know we...

cheehawThreads: 9 Posts: 831 Joined: Oct 10, 09	Oct 11, 09, 23:52 / #
actually I've been kind of impressed at reading about the attempted gay marches in Moscow being put off so strongly. No offense or anything, even I do have gay friends, who doesn;t over here, not close friends, have nothing against them personally but the way the gay groups wormed their way into the school system in the US is especially rude in my opinion. Who the heck wants to know what they do in their bedrooms? certainly not I and they are teaching this junk to kids. And they are actually a small minority so there is not doubt they had hefty political help. I thought it was good to read about that too, will have to keep an eye on it. I understand the Russian Orthodox does not really want much to do with Roman Catholicism, which would be the main polish church according to every Polish person I have ever known.. they are all RC. There are some saving graces to that (Russian Orthodox stance) in my opinion too, took several years of looking into it though so can't really get into much here. People have told me and I have read in places that it's actually the vatican controlling the bankers, NWO, EU. Which does not mean they are using strictly catholic protocol.. but that the vatican power stucture was infiltrated long ago by people with another agenda as usual. Most hardline gay men I've run across don't like women very much. So that is probably not a valid idea. They like to wear their bras and panties but that's about it. I'll check out Chechen war history.

NathanThreads: 33 Posts: 1,846 Joined: Feb 13, 09	Edited by: Nathan Dec 22, 09, 18:44 / #
cheehaw: Russian leaders are strongly backing, even promoting, the Orthodox church there. Does anyone have any experience with this or thoughts Russian Orthodox Church was always a puppet and a tool in Russia. Its decisions and moves were controlled by tsars starting from the XIV century onward. It helped it a lot to become so influential. In the Soviet Union era despite the persecution the only church to be opened for the believers was Russian Orthodox Church. (I was baptized illegally!!! at my parents' home by a priest of Ukrainian Catholic church, which was forbidden and priests either sent to Siberia or regular prisons). Priests who could be broken or even replaced by KGB agents were serving there. You know what confessions usually led to if they had to do anything with a wrong word against the state. Funny enough in 1943 Stalin himself brought back Russian Orthodox Church to use it as a moral support of the people, which atheism obviously couldn't do. This is why now everyone in Russian government are so pious and church-supporting. Gleb Yakunin, a defrocked Priest and critic of the Moscow Patriarchate who was one of those who had access to the KGB archive documents in the early 1990s, argued that the Moscow Patriarchate was "practically a subsidiary, a sister company of the KGB".[33] Critics charge that the archives showed the extent of active participation of the top ROC hierarchs in the KGB efforts overseas.[34][35][36][37][38][39] George Trofimoff, the highest-ranking US military officer ever indicted for, and convicted of, espionage by the United States and sentenced to life imprisonment on September 27, 2001, had been "recruited into the service of the KGB"[40] by Igor Susemihl (a.k.a. Zuzemihl), a bishop in the Russian Orthodox Church (subsequently, a high-ranking hierarch - the ROC Metropolitan Iriney of Vienna, who died in July 1999[41]). The Moscow Patriarchate has, however, consistently denied that its bishops were in fact KGB Agents.[42] Konstanin Kharchev, former chairman of Soviet Council on Religious Affairs, explained: "Not a single candidate for the office of bishop or any other high-ranking office, much less a member of Holy Synod, went through without confirmation by the Central Committee of the CPSU and the KGB".[37] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Orthodox_Church#Under_Communist_r ule This is a powerful tool to use inside and outside the country. Recently Ukraine saw a visit of Russian Orthodox patriarch Kyril, who came to "bring back to senses a led-astray herd of Ukrainian Orthodox believers". An expert on religion, Andrij Yurash, said to ZIK July 27 the visit to Ukraine of Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kiril has a political dimension which is part of the ideology pursued both by Kiril and the Russian regime. The essence of this ideology is that, insofar as Ukraine cannot be brought to the Russian fold politically, at least a spiritual noose should be tied. http://zik.com.ua/en/news/2009/07/27/190131 So no surprises and awe when Putin licks an icon and crosses himself - it is just a job ;)