He quells the opposition with force, but Patriarch Kirill sees him as a “gift from heaven.” The alliance between throne and altar becomes an obstacle in the path towards ecumenism
According to the opposition Putin is a despot, but Patriarch Kirill sees him as a gift from heaven. While the country’s leader harshly clamps down on public demonstrations, the Russian Orthodox Church turns a blind eye, it goes even further by blessing him as the saviour of the mother nation. An indissoluble bond between altar and throne becomes an obstacle on the path towards ecumenism. This authoritarian tendency raises concerns for the Church in Rome and further alienates the “estranged brothers” (Catholics and Orthodox). AsiaNews comments: “Putin back in the Kremlin, like the tsar his challenge is to embrace reforms. Not only the pomp and ceremony of the inauguration but also the violent crackdown against protests in Moscow have led many to compare Putin III to Russia’s last tsar. If power becomes entrenched, the opposition will radicalise, something Russia has already seen in the past, with revolution lurking around the corner.”
Full Story: Vatican Insider