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USE OF RELIGION IN SOVIET
FOREIGN POLICY
Religion is one of the major instruments employed by
Orthodoxy today lies in the national churches, backed and
the Soviet Union to intensify domestic control over her
controlled by national governments, rather than in the old
heterogeneous peoples, to strengthen her hold on currently
Patriarchates, (d) located in areas which have been con-
Soviet-dominated areas, and to further Soviet penetra-
trolled by Moslem rulers for centuries. Until the end of
tion in other regions.19 More specifically, the U. S. S. R.
World War I, the strongest of these national churches was
hopes to use the Orthodox and related faiths 20 to: (1)
the Russian Orthodox Church.
encourage loyalty to the Soviet regime among the Ortho-
In 1589 the Russian Orthodox Church, backed by the
dox in Russia (2) bring within the fold of the Russian
growing power of the Muskovite princes, forced the
Church autonomous (a) and semi-autonomous Orthodox
Ecumenical Patriarch Jeremias II to recognize the See of
and Eastern Catholic organizations existing in bordering
Moscow as having Patriarchal powers over the Russian
countries; and (3) combat on an international scale the
Orthodox Church. Simultaneously with the development
anti-Communist influence of the Vatican.
of Russia as a major Power, the theory was developed by
These steps are designed to make the Moscow Patri-
Russian mystics that Moscow was the "Holy City of
archate the actual, if not the theoretical, center of Ortho-
God"-the third Rome.22
doxy (b) and to regain for the Soviet state the position of
The independence of the Russian Church from the juris-
the Russian Empire as the protector of Orthodoxy in
diction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople
general.
resulted in its complete subjection to the Czarist Govern-
ment. This relationship prevailed from 1721 until the
Soviet Political Aims and the Orthodox Church
Revolution, after which the ideology of the Soviet regime
The political significance of increasingly cordial rela-
prevented the Church from functioning freely. Despite
tions between the. Soviet Government and the Russian
the Soviet attitude toward religion, Metropolitan Sergi
Orthodox Church lies in the intention of Soviet leaders to
of Novgorod, acting Patriarch 1925-1943, recognizing that
use the prestige of an Eastern (°) Eastern Orthodox
a major function of a national church was to support the
Church to increase Soviet influence in Eastern Europe, the
established national authority, followed a policy of cooper-
Middle East, and in areas which have been centers of Rus-
ation with the social program of the Soviet Government.
sian Orthodox emigration since the Revolution. Such
Sincere support of government policy, particularly during
centers include North America, various Chinese and Man-
the war, and the reduced strength of the Orthodox Church
churian coastal cities, and France.
in the U. S. S. R. resulting from the Soviet suppression,
apparently convinced the Soviet leaders that they have
The Russian Orthodox Church
nothing to fear from the Church, but, on the contrary, that
The Eastern Churches, both Orthodox 21 and heretical,
considerable political gain will result from encouraging
are organized along national lines, and the strength of
church activities at home and abroad. The Soviet leaders,
therefore, have conceded the church a considerable measure
19 See map, page 36.
of governmental support.
20 See chart, page 38, for organization of the Christian Churches
In September 1943 the government created the Council
of the East.
on Orthodox Church Affairs and attached it to the Soviet
(a) (b) See Glossary, page 39.
of People's Commissars to supervise relations between the
21 The Orthodox Church is the technical name given to that body
Orthodox Church and the Soviet Government. The same
of Christians who use the Byzantine (e) rite, in various languages,
in their church ceremonies. The Orthodox Church has been in
year the government permitted the formal appointment
schism with the Papacy since 1054 and is in union with the Ecu-
of Metropolitan Sergei to the Patriarchal office which he
menical (¹) Patriarchate of Constantinople (Istanbul). Orthodox
Christians recognize the technical primacy of the Patriarch of
22 The second Rome was Constantinople, which became a Patri-
Istanbul-whose relation to the other Patriarchs of the auto-
archate in 381 A. D., Rome, Antioch, and Alexandria being the initial
cephalous (8) and autonomous Orthodox Churches is defined as
Christian Sees. Constantinople was called Czargrad by the Rus-
"first among his equals."
sians prior to its falls to the Turks in 1453.
(°) (¹) (8 See Glossary, page 39.
() See Glossary, page 39.
RESTRICTE
35
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"ocrText": "USE OF RELIGION IN SOVIET\nFOREIGN POLICY\nReligion is one of the major instruments employed by\nOrthodoxy today lies in the national churches, backed and\nthe Soviet Union to intensify domestic control over her\ncontrolled by national governments, rather than in the old\nheterogeneous peoples, to strengthen her hold on currently\nPatriarchates, (d) located in areas which have been con-\nSoviet-dominated areas, and to further Soviet penetra-\ntrolled by Moslem rulers for centuries. Until the end of\ntion in other regions.19 More specifically, the U. S. S. R.\nWorld War I, the strongest of these national churches was\nhopes to use the Orthodox and related faiths 20 to: (1)\nthe Russian Orthodox Church.\nencourage loyalty to the Soviet regime among the Ortho-\nIn 1589 the Russian Orthodox Church, backed by the\ndox in Russia (2) bring within the fold of the Russian\ngrowing power of the Muskovite princes, forced the\nChurch autonomous (a) and semi-autonomous Orthodox\nEcumenical Patriarch Jeremias II to recognize the See of\nand Eastern Catholic organizations existing in bordering\nMoscow as having Patriarchal powers over the Russian\ncountries; and (3) combat on an international scale the\nOrthodox Church. Simultaneously with the development\nanti-Communist influence of the Vatican.\nof Russia as a major Power, the theory was developed by\nThese steps are designed to make the Moscow Patri-\nRussian mystics that Moscow was the \"Holy City of\narchate the actual, if not the theoretical, center of Ortho-\nGod\"-the third Rome.22\ndoxy (b) and to regain for the Soviet state the position of\nThe independence of the Russian Church from the juris-\nthe Russian Empire as the protector of Orthodoxy in\ndiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople\ngeneral.\nresulted in its complete subjection to the Czarist Govern-\nment. This relationship prevailed from 1721 until the\nSoviet Political Aims and the Orthodox Church\nRevolution, after which the ideology of the Soviet regime\nThe political significance of increasingly cordial rela-\nprevented the Church from functioning freely. Despite\ntions between the. Soviet Government and the Russian\nthe Soviet attitude toward religion, Metropolitan Sergi\nOrthodox Church lies in the intention of Soviet leaders to\nof Novgorod, acting Patriarch 1925-1943, recognizing that\nuse the prestige of an Eastern (°) Eastern Orthodox\na major function of a national church was to support the\nChurch to increase Soviet influence in Eastern Europe, the\nestablished national authority, followed a policy of cooper-\nMiddle East, and in areas which have been centers of Rus-\nation with the social program of the Soviet Government.\nsian Orthodox emigration since the Revolution. Such\nSincere support of government policy, particularly during\ncenters include North America, various Chinese and Man-\nthe war, and the reduced strength of the Orthodox Church\nchurian coastal cities, and France.\nin the U. S. S. R. resulting from the Soviet suppression,\napparently convinced the Soviet leaders that they have\nThe Russian Orthodox Church\nnothing to fear from the Church, but, on the contrary, that\nThe Eastern Churches, both Orthodox 21 and heretical,\nconsiderable political gain will result from encouraging\nare organized along national lines, and the strength of\nchurch activities at home and abroad. The Soviet leaders,\ntherefore, have conceded the church a considerable measure\n19 See map, page 36.\nof governmental support.\n20 See chart, page 38, for organization of the Christian Churches\nIn September 1943 the government created the Council\nof the East.\non Orthodox Church Affairs and attached it to the Soviet\n(a) (b) See Glossary, page 39.\nof People's Commissars to supervise relations between the\n21 The Orthodox Church is the technical name given to that body\nOrthodox Church and the Soviet Government. The same\nof Christians who use the Byzantine (e) rite, in various languages,\nin their church ceremonies. The Orthodox Church has been in\nyear the government permitted the formal appointment\nschism with the Papacy since 1054 and is in union with the Ecu-\nof Metropolitan Sergei to the Patriarchal office which he\nmenical (¹) Patriarchate of Constantinople (Istanbul). Orthodox\nChristians recognize the technical primacy of the Patriarch of\n22 The second Rome was Constantinople, which became a Patri-\nIstanbul-whose relation to the other Patriarchs of the auto-\narchate in 381 A. D., Rome, Antioch, and Alexandria being the initial\ncephalous (8) and autonomous Orthodox Churches is defined as\nChristian Sees. Constantinople was called Czargrad by the Rus-\n\"first among his equals.\"\nsians prior to its falls to the Turks in 1453.\n(°) (¹) (8 See Glossary, page 39.\n() See Glossary, page 39.\nRESTRICTE\n35"
}