Vintage

Russia: Orthodox Churches Poised For Historic Reunification

“The Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, whose founders fled Bolshevik rule almost a century ago, is poised to reunite with the Moscow-based church.

The formerly rival churches will seal their historic reconciliation at a ceremony on May 17 in the Russian capital's largest cathedral.

…Both supporters and critics of the reunification agree that the event's significance extends far beyond religion.

"For the regime, this is of course a big advertisement project," says Mark Smirnov, editor in chief of the religion magazine of the Russian daily "Nezavisimaya gazeta." "Because it enables Putin to show that during his tenure as president he was not only a rather successful manager, but also the one who united the churches. One can see it as a historic step that will figure in large print in Vladimir Putin's biography."

Dennen of the Keston Institute views the reunification as part of a broader Kremlin campaign to buff up Russia's image.

"Of course the Orthodox Church is very grand and very beautiful, and that [reunification] will contribute to that image," she says. "I think, although legally it isn't the established church, it in fact it behaves as though it were, and Putin's regime certainly makes good use of that." Putin, here being blessed by Aleksy II in 2006, is an Orthodox believer .

Putin has strongly supported the reconciliation between the two churches, as well as other steps to revive Russia's pre revolutionary past. While some have welcomed his efforts, others have accused him of stirring nationalist feelings.

The Russian Orthodox Church in 2000 canonized Russia's last tsar, Nikolai II, and his family, who were murdered by the Bolsheviks.

Last year, the remains of the tsar's mother, Empress Maria Fyodorovna, who died in exile in Denmark, were reburied in St. Petersburg.

Putin is expected to attend the May 17 ceremony together with the descendents of the Romanov dynasty.”