Russia

Keywords: Russian Orthodox Church

With more than 150 million believers is the Russian Orthodox Church, the largest Orthodox Church in the world. It is regarded as extremely wertkonservativ, their Connections to Russian politics are closely.

Church and state in Russia according to the Constitution officially separated. Nevertheless, the Russian Orthodox Church under the rule of President Vladimir Putin to a kind of state religion has risen. The Kremlin and the Church will benefit from each other: Putin gives himself stresses the believer, he sees in the Church and the Patriarch Machtstütze. At the same time, they are allies in the containment of a liberalism based on the Western model in Russia.

The Church in turn strengthens their influence in the state. Since 2006, there is again religious education in Russian schools. In 2010, the state Duma a law on the return of Kircheneigentum, after the Russian Revolution of 1917 was confiscated. The Russian Orthodox Church is oriented in modern Russia according to Orthodox Tradition, the Ideal of “Symphonia”, a harmonious relationship between Church and state.

Moscow as the “Third Rome”

The history of the Russian Orthodox Church began about a thousand years ago Kievan Rus, the medieval Vorläuferstaat of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. In the year 988 was its ruler, Grand Prince Vladimir I., Christian Church. The baptism had a political reason: an Alliance of the Kievan Rus with the Byzantine Imperial family in Constantinople. It was Vladimir I. the appreciation of his Empire, economic benefits and an improvement in the relationship with the neighbouring peoples. With the adoption of the new faith Christed the ruler of his subjects.

Under Kremlchef Putin with Patriarch Kyrill I. is the Russian Orthodox Church, practically to the Russian state religion promoted

The Russian Orthodox Church was the first part of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. 1326 was the residence of the Russian metropolitans, so the designation for the highest Bishop, Bishop of Kiev moved to Moscow. Shortly before the Fall of the Byzantine Empire separated the Russian bishops of the Church. As Constantinople in 1453 to the Ottomans fell, took over the Russian rulers the Kaisertitel. The tsars considered Moscow as the “Third Rome”, as a new centre of the Orthodox Christians after Rome and Constantinople. At the end of the 16. Century was the Moscow Patriarchate was established.

Under Tsar Peter the Great was the Russian Orthodox Church completely under the control of the state. Peter abolished the Patriarchate 132 years after its inception. Instead, he put a Holy Synod that he himself was subordinate to, and the bishops appointed. After this Reform, the Church was closely connected with the Russian power elite interwoven. Only in 1917 the Patriarchate was re-introduced.

Cyril I.: homosexuality is danger to society

The new Patriarch Tikhon and his Church were, however, from the beginning under pressure. In the early years of the Soviet Union, Christians have been massively persecuted and churches and monasteries destroyed. Only after the Second world war was the Russian Orthodox Church is again restricted to be tolerated, however, was under strict control of the state. At the 1000-year Celebration in 1988, hinted already a lot on a relaxation between Church and state. Since the end of the Soviet Union the Russian Orthodox Church, a Renaissance. Until today, there were about 15,000 churches reopened.

Catholics and Orthodox go for the big Kirchenspaltung in the Latin and the Orthodox Church from the year 1054 separate ways. The “Orthodox world” is in many independent churches fragmented. The Russian Orthodox is with around 150 million believers in more than 60 countries, the largest. It is considered to be highly conservative. Patriarch Kyrill I. is similar to homosexuality as a danger to society.

Tensions between the Patriarchate and the Vatican

Theologically separates Catholics and Russian Orthodox, only a little, especially in comparison to the Protestants. Also, the current Patriarch Kyrill I. raised again and again the common values. Nevertheless was a Meeting between the Pope and the Patriarch long considered unthinkable.

The Danilov monastery in Moscow is the official residence of the Russian Patriarch

At the end of the 1990s, had the then Pope John Paul II with the establishment of Catholic dioceses in Russia, nor for substantial detuning in the Moscow Patriarchate, is provided. From the point of view of injured Rome, so that the Territorialhoheit of the Orthodox Church. Also called the Polish Pope Polish clergymen as bishops of the new dioceses, which, due to historical conflicts there as the invaders were seen. Also the existence of Christian communities, especially in the Ukraine, although the Orthodox rite to maintain the Pope, however, as the head to acknowledge, made in the Moscow Danilov monastery for the displeasure.

After the death of Patriarch Alexei II and the election of his successor, Cyril I. is the negative attitude of Moscow towards Rome a more acceptable course gone. Under Benedict XVI relaxed the relationship between the two churches. However, the long-awaited breakthrough, the first Meeting between Pope and Patriarch, succeeded only now.