[Bayard]

How much is this “the Russian Church” and how much is Putin?

[Mrs. Don-o]

An interesting question. Metropolitan Hilarion is, by all accounts, a formidable man: extensive East-West contacts and education, young, vigorous, scholar, musician, multilingual, present whenever anything important is going on, the equivalent of Secretary of State to the Patriarchate of Moscow (under Patriarch Kirill).

If he's consenting to be a tool of Putin, I would be very disappointed. But not surprised: that's a fairly typical position of Russian hierarchs before the Russia State: prone. And he may not have many option to exercise "independent judgment" at this point.

[cloudmountain]

How much is this “the Russian Church” and how much is Putin?

Between the agenda driven media and Russia's already known standard of telling the world what Russia wants it to know, we have NO way of knowing the truth.

And, who cares anyway?

My husband and I visited Russia in 2008. His comment: "Russia still had a long, long, l-o-n-g way to go to catch up to the West."