Posted on 12/12/2004 2:25:39 PM PST by topher
My knowledge of this is limited -- I have known some Ukrainian Catholic priests. One I was able to sit down and ask the blunt question of infiltration of the KGB in the Churches in Russia -- but more so in the Ukraine.
One must understand that under Communism, the KGB [internal security police] would use the Church as a place to get information -- especially in the secrecy of the confessional.
With the current troubles in the Ukraine, I hope it is in the best interest of those people to air this laundry.
The problem is much more significant the further East in the Ukraine one is, and it is much more a problem with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the Russian Orthodox, and to a much lesser extent the Ukrainian Catholic Church.
I would just like these KGB to leave their positions in the priesthood in these churches -- in some cases they are Bishops [or that equivalent -- such as the Title Metropolitan -- which is sort of an Archbishop].
This would allow people to have confidence in their religion.
We could fill a number of discussion forums with the dirty tricks of the Communists since the fall of the Iron Curtain.
I just hope these people will be allowed to reclaim their churches -- at least in the Ukraine. There have been persecution upon persecution of Christians under Lenin, Stalin, and other Communist leaders.
Probably the safest way to be able to trust priests in the Ukraine is to have known them when they were part of the underground Church.
It is a known fact that there are still KGB inside some of the Churches -- what is not known is how many and the extent of the current infiltration.
This is a consideration for the election process in the Ukraine -- if the Priests/Clergy are puppets of the Communists -- it is harder to have fair elections.
My facts on this are scanty. And there would be quite an outcry of indignation in some places if people know how bad this might be...
The KGB was far more successful at infiltrating the Orthodox priesthood, because they could threaten their wives and children.
They were unable to do so with the celibate Catholic priests, and thus the Orthodox were tolerated and used, while the Catholics were persecuted and starved to death.
The KGB was very effective at instilling into the compromised Orthodox a more militant and useful anti-Catholicism, that unfortunately remains to this day even after the "fall" of communism. Those who were once KGB operatives now pretty much control Russian Orthodoxy, and old habits die hard. Just look at the treatment of Pope JPII at the hands of these former KGB operatives.
Orthodoxy suffered greatly under the communists, and because of geography most of the weight of that iron hammer fell on their collective heads.
But their culpability and cooperation in the persecution of Catholics, then and now, cannot be forgotten, nor forgiven, until it is recognized and repented by the Orthodox themselves.
I imagine Condi Rice has a better idea of how much of a problem this is... But she may have limited info...
Both the Klitschko brothers won.
Maybe a good sign.
beware of Putin...
Condi Rice has been pretty much as predisposed toward Russia as was mentor, Josef Korbel.
The Catholic Korbel, having fled Austria time and again in the forties with his family (including daughter, Madeleine) was finally granted asylum in the US (where he founded a graduate school of international relations at University of Denver).
Daughter Madeleine went on to marry a scion of a prominent newspapering family and later become Secretary of State under Clinton. They never met a Ruski they didn't like.
LOL! Good one. Sets the tone perfectly for the rest of your silly post.
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