By Stephen K. Ryan
In a stunning example of the resurgence of Christianity in general and the Russian Orthodox Church in particular, President Medvedev marked the adoption of Christianity in 988 with a new public holiday. This is the latest demonstration of the Kremlin's support for an Orthodox Church that has grown increasingly powerful since the fall of Communism. Some rights groups have criticized the new holiday, approved by President Dmitry Medvedev, as undermining Russia's secular constitution.
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Marking the anniversary Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, held a liturgy in Kiev, the capital of modern Ukraine and mediaeval Kievan Rus, whose leader Prince Vladimir made Christianity the state religion more than 1,000 years ago.
Reuters reported the Patriarch as saying "Facing aggressive atheism and resurgent paganism we remain firm in our belief in God,"
Since the fall of the Soviet Union almost 20 years ago, the Orthodox Church has undergone a revival as Russia's leaders have endorsed it as the country's main faith.
Vladimir Putin, after lighting a candle in Veliky Novgorod's Saint Sophia Cathedral, said "This was an event of colossal significance ... Russia made a historical choice"
Many believe such an official State recognition of a religious event would be impossible in the United States.
Reuters reported :
"It is really cool that this is finally happening. It's good young people know about our history," said Anton, a 22-year-old artist. Retired engineer Zina looked on. "I regularly go to church and maybe this will encourage others," she told Reuters. The trend toward consolidation of the church as a national force in Russia has worried its 20-million strong Muslim population -- a seventh of Russia's people -- as well as those who believe church and state should be strictly separated.
July 28 was celebrated in Russia en masse twice before -- in 1888 and 1988 -- but significantly Wednesday's holiday was the first time it was marked on a state level.
Its millennium celebration in 1988 under Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev was widely considered a turning point for the church's revival while Russia still lived under Communism.
17 comments:
God bless the people of Russia and their resurgent faith. Beware of Putin, however, for his deliberate downing of the plane carrying the Polish president is proof that Satanists don't like to 'apologize'.
Someday, after the American Bolshevik Revolution has run its course by killing millions of American Christians, we too will have a great resurgence of Christianity. You never truely understand real evil until you have faced it out in the open. It is moving out into the open again, now, here, in America.
Then you will know exactly why Russia is adopting Christianity...again.
Long live Orthodox Great Russia and her Orthodox brothers and sisters.
The fact that since 79 and especially after the fall of the USSR US aligned with Saudi Arabia has supported every single Muslim force against Christians and non Muslim people in the North Caucasus, Armenia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Xining, etc.
Despite what you may have thought about Saddam he was a bulwark against the Islamic revolutionary force in Iran with an iron fist protected the Christian minority there.
Russia as well as China has opposed these measures even with the bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade.
I don’t think America is a particularly Christian nation.
I don’t see the US building churches and promoting Christianity as part of its foreign policy. In fact thanks to their effort in sponsoring KLA terrorism and ethnic cleansing against the Serbs over 100 Orthodox churches have been destroyed in the province.
Putin should invite all Western Christians to celebrate this in support of Russian culture.
I like Christians and support this holiday.
"The USA became awesomely powerful by the export of Christianity to many poorer Countrys back in the early 1900's. Russia will overtake the US now that they have a blessed hope" chevy levy Aug 2010,
DO NOT TRUST SATAN! (Putin)
The ploy here is to get the Catholics and Protestants battling with each other!
Christianity is spreading over RUSSIA faster than a California wild fire, and the KGB is shaking like a Haitian earthquake!
Remember Ireland, not only home of the potato pie, but also, potato soup, potato with kale, potato with potatoes, and the horrible Irish Catholic and Protestant (North & Southern uncivil war!)
Don't trust this satan Putin!
Putin "Get thee behind!"
To those saying Putin is satan, please stop. You are truly naive and fooling no one.
Russia broke the yoke of the jews. She will survive. America will never be able to break it, and thus will be doomed to extinction
@chevy levy
US foreign policy was anything but Christian with colony of the Philippines, Cuba, etc. and was the primary country that aided and supported the Marxist coup of 1905 and 1917 sabotaging US-Russian relationship and trade agreements, giving exile to hundreds who Marxist terrorists in New York who later financed by Schiff and other through the “Friends of Russian Freedom” organisation lobbied for Trotsky and others for US passports to entire Russia and help carry out the “revolution” to the tune of $1 billion.
@Anonymous
Its is the US that is run by Trotskyite Communists trying to create there NWO jumping ship aligned with the CIA/MI6 after WW2 and in the late 60’s turned to faux conservatism calling themselves Neocons where they are really Neocoms.
who would have thunk. Yea Baby.
JohnUK,
While you go ahead and point to these crazy Muslims as being the oppressor,your conclusions are very ignorant.
I am Bosnian dude,and the Serbs started the war in the Balkans first,against Slovenia,than Croatia,and finally Bosnia.
I was one of those who had to flee my home as a kid while being bombarded with artillery shells.
We had nothing while Serbia controlled the Yugoslavien Army.
My uncle who is now dead,died after the war,was in the army at the time, Serbia attacked Croatia and he had to fight on their side,later he fought the Serbs with the Croatian and than Bosnian army.
Two of my uncles are dead,they were in prison camps and never got out.For what?
The Serbs Slaughtered many thousands of Bosnian Men and Boys in Srebrenica.
And now you want to tell everybody that the Serbs were the good guys?
You ignorant one sided fool,I hate people like you.
By the way I have no problem with the Orthodox Church better than NO religion at all.
Unfortunately I see all religions corrupt one way or the other,and NO I'm not trying to say religion is bad.
Putin is no Satan. The REAL Satan lives in the White House in Amerika! Putin is a Baptized Russian Orthodox Christian! I live very far from Russia, in South Africa actually, but I have been a Russian Orthodox Christian since 2004 because I recognized through much prayer and heart searching that Orthodox Christianity is the only TRUE Christianity left in the world today.
Forgive me, I do not judge anyone else by their choice of Belief or Faith.
I agree with the gentleman that said that Putin is no Satan;and further I say: Go Home all you evangelical's SDA's, JW's and other Protestant Sects. We don't need your help. Rather, you should consider being helped by us, since as this as this article states We in Russia we Christians when most Europeans were worshiping Planets, rocks and trees.
As an American I can add my two cents worth. I think that the US economy and government is now totally dominated by atheistic Jewish Bolsheviks. The same kind of Jewish Bolsheviks that pursecuted and murdered millions of Christians in Russia during the early 20th Century. I think that if given the chance they will do the same thing in the USA when they get the chance. I never thought I'd admit it but I think I have more in common with the Russian people than I do with my own countrymen as the majority of the Christians living here have fallen for the Great Apostacy of Christian Zionism. They have fallen for the Jewish racial hatred espoused in the Old Testament rather the equality of mankind taught in the New Testament.
Russia has stabbed the Iranian nation in the back by not honouring the contract to supply the S-300 Defense system. That has got to be a concern to anyone who considers Russian leaders to be christian.
A strong Russia is in the interests of the world. I used to think Ayatollah Khomeini was a nut jon when he described the USA as the Great Satan but given its history and recent events likes 911 (an inside job with Mossad assistance), there clearly is some currency to this viewpoint. It also strikes me as profound that Iran, one of the few nations in the world to devote itself to God is being singled out by the satanic controlled nations of the world.
God will prevail so be careful not to back the wrong horse!
Jim
Putan maybe a Morano in hiding. Always be alert!
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