The Role Of The Russian Orthodox Church In Aiding Putin

Russia's President Vladimir Putin (L) and Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill arrive for the meeting with Russian Orthodox church bishops in Moscow February 1, 2013. Credit: REUTERS/Sergei Gunyeev/Ria Novosti/Kremlin/Files

How The Russian Orthodox Church Answers Putin's Prayers In Ukraine -- Gabriela Baczynska and Tom Heneghan, Reuters

(Reuters) - After weeks of defying international pleas to free eight European officials they had captured in May, pro-Russian rebels in east Ukraine released them unexpectedly in June following a public appeal by the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill.

The role Kirill's resurgent church played in the release of the monitors, who were from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), sheds light on how a close cooperation between the state and the church in Russia is now playing out in Ukraine.

What the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) presents as its humanitarian mission in east Ukraine, Western diplomats see as a pattern of cooperation in which the church is acting as a "soft power" ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

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My Comment: First things first .... a disclaimer .... I am Russian Orthodox.

When it comes to election time .... Russian President Putin's base of support comes from those who work for the government/military/veterans, rural voters, pensioners, and .... not to be underestimated .... the Russian Orthodox Church. In fact .... for the past thousand years the Russian Orthodox Church has always played a major role in Russian life .... even during Communist rule. And like all institutions .... they have used their influence to influence Russian politics, and Russian politicians have always catered to them for their support. Putin has been a masterd at this .... but so has the leaders of the Russian Orthodox Church.

On a side not .... a little bit of personal Russian history .... sometime in the mid 1970s (during the height of Communist rule in the Soviet Union) I went with my mother to visit the arch-bishop of Leningrad. My mother is a very devout Christian (unlike my father who had no patience for religion) .... and while I do not remember the reasons why we went, I always remember the bishop's house. It was massive, but next door to where he lived was the mayor of Leningrad .... they were close neighbors and friends. I also remember that the arch-bishops home was at least the double the size of the mayor's home who was also the region's top Communist boss .... this was to me a clear sign (to me) on who had the greater authority.