You took the words out of my mouth. The Russian Orthodox Church and other Orthodox Churches in Eastern Europe benefitted enormously when Stalin confiscated all the Catholic Churches and seminaries and handed many of them over to the Orthodox Churches. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, some of these properties were handed back to the original owners, but most were not.
I think Putin is still using the Russian Orthodox Church for corrupt political purposes, and they are still happy to be used since it gives them a monopoly position and a lot of perks.
Why don't you Catholics go and fight over returning the Church of England to your fold. The Orthodox church is growing while the Anglicans are shrinking. By the way last I looked the Catholic Church was a hot bed of both Communists and Nazi sympathizers.
Yeah, especially when they butchered 300,000 priests, monks and nuns OF THE ORTHODOX FAITH. When the oldest surviving cathedril in Russia, in Moscow on the Moscow River was detonated and turned into a swimming pool. When Orthodox Churches were made into muesums at best and warehouses at worst.
Lets try some truth for a change.
Same thing happened when the Mongols were running the show. The Orthodox don't learn from their mistakes.