Russia Celebrates Orthodox Holiday, Officially
Patriarch Kirill of Russia and Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev
The nation of Russia is more and more embracing the faith of the Orthodox:
Wednesday, July 28, 2010; 7:45 AM
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia officially celebrated a new holiday on Wednesday marking its conversion to Christianity in 988, the latest Kremlin boost to an Orthodox Church that has grown increasingly powerful since the fall of Communism.
Rights groups have criticized the new holiday, approved by President Dmitry Medvedev in June, as undermining Russia’s secular constitution and members of the country’s large Muslim minority have complained that it excludes them.
Marking the anniversary, Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, told state-run television: “Abandoning the historical significance of the baptism of Rus means discarding the supporting pillar of our entire civilization”. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/28/AR2010072801907.html
The past few decades have seen a shift from the Russian government opposing the Russian Orthodox to embracing and encouraging that faith.
Also, the past year has seen a major shift of the Russian Orthodox to be more supportive of the others within Eastern Orthodoxy as well as the Catholic Church of Rome. Unity, sadly, will lead to massive religious and biblical compromise–this is something that the Russian Orthodox (and everyone else) should try to avoid.
This newly official holiday, however, will likely please both Constantinople and Rome, as well as provide political support for the government in Russia.
While the Russian Orthodox will not likely fully support the coming ecumenical Council that many Orthodox long for (and was prophesied by one of them centuries ago, see Why Should American Catholics Should Fear Unity with the Orthodox?), it may support an ecumenical Council to some degree. Yet, even if it does seem to fully support it, the Russians will be among the first in the “Orthodox world” to realize that unity with Rome and Europe is not in its interest. And it will likely influence the Russian government (and vice versa) about that in not too many years. Watch and see.
Some articles of possibly related interest may include:
Russia: Its Origins and Prophesied Future Where do the Russians come from? What is prophesied for Russia? What will it do to the Europeans that supported the Beast in the end?
Is Russia the King of the North? Some claim it is. But what does the Bible teach?
Orthodox Must Reject Unity with the Roman Catholics There are many problems that will happen if they unify, including make them part of end time Babylon.
Why Should American Catholics Should Fear Unity with the Orthodox? Are the current ecumenical meetings a good thing or will they result in disaster?
Some Similarities and Differences Between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Living Church of God Both groups claim to be the original church, but both groups have differing ways to claim it. Both groups have some amazing similarities and some major differences. Do you know what they are?
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