March 19, 2002, Moscow, 8.18 AM
The Presidential administration declared that during the Great Lent of 2002
special lenten fare will be cooked for state officials who work in Kremlin. This
is for the first time that officials made their godliness public.
May 3, 2002, Moscow, 10.45
Sorry, that I write here only from time to time. Too much work (i.e. paid
work.) Thanks God! On may 2 I participated in the broadcast of BBC (London) together
with my poor English. In London my counterpart was Larry Uzzel, head of Keston
Institute (British lady called him Laurence only.) He was invited as a critic
of the Moscow Patriarchy, I was advocatus diaboli. Actually, I've enjoyed
this role. So several ideas.
(1) It is easy to cricize Moscow Patriarchy, but it is very hard to sympathize
to Vatican. Riman Catholics in Russia never defended religious freedom and even
collaborated with the Russian Orthodox Church in attacks on "cults."
(I think this is a shameful busyness, in Russia more than in the West.)
(2) There are two parties inside Moscow Patriarchy. Both are anti-Catholic,
anti-Protesnt etc. But they are different. Party of old Soviet bosses is moderate.
In February 2002 Patriarch forgave Fr Zenon Theodore, who was punished for receiveing
the Communion from the hands of Roman Catholic priest.
Anti-Catholis zealots are Metr. Vladimir Irim, head of the Asian Russian Orthodox
Church (Kazahstan) and "angry youngsters": fathers Tihon Shevkunov,
close friend of Putin, Fr. Ivan Ohlobystin, less intimate friend of Putin, but
one of his official PR-men, bishop Evseviy of Pskov.
(3) Putin uses the usual "divide et impera" politics. He has a mentality
of spy, spirituality of intrigues and clandestine politics. He enjoy the game
in the "good cop/bad cop" specially. Now he makes the Patriarch a bad
cop--and any moment he can invite Pope to Russia and become a good cop. What is
worst of all that Putin can do anything, kill millions, but the West will continue
to look upon him benevolently. The case of Miloshevich shows that a tyrant must
commit very cruel crimes and in the direct neibourhood of the West--only then
some indignation will arise.
One supplement to the previous text. It seems that Moscow Patriarchy united
with Russian nationalists. Gennadiy Raykov, MP, organized the meeting on April
28, against Roman Catholics for the "traditional Russian values." Fr.
Antoniy Ilyin from the department of Metr. Kyrill, supported the idea.
Still, the union of clerical and secular nationalists is always imperfect.
Both sides dream about monopoly or at least about leadership in the field. The
Patriarch used to be a prominent Kremlin figure, much higher than any Parliament
member, who is just a muppet in Putin's hands. This is why no one from Russian
Orthodox establishment appeared on the meetings of ultra-nationalists. The kingdom
of nationalism is divided, halleluya!
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