Religion is a means of control, especially if it's in lockstep with government, something readily seen by Patriarch Kirill, Putin's spiritual leader giving Putin essential cover by supporting Russia's war with Ukraine.
Today, Kirill stands apart not merely from Francis, but from much of the world. The leader of about 100 million faithful, Kirill, 75, has staked the fortunes of his branch of Orthodox Christianity on a close and mutually beneficial alliance with Mr. Putin, offering him spiritual cover while his church — and possibly he himself — receives vast resources in return from the Kremlin, allowing him to extend his influence in the Orthodox world.
To his critics, the arrangement has made Kirill far more than another apparatchik, oligarch or enabler of Mr. Putin, but an essential part of the nationalist ideology at the heart of the Kremlin’s expansionist designs.
Again, it's all about the money, always has been, always will be.
No comments:
Post a Comment