Is the Russian Orthodox Church a KGB Church?

[@DjigitDaniel]

My father, Memory Eternal, was a dissident from the USSR. His father, a White officer, was shot like a dog in a gulag near present day Aydabol in 1944. My father spent 35 years being persecuted for his faith and anti communist sentiments before escaping that hellscape. Our family has lived in the USA since 1980 and were part of ROCOR till the reunification with Moscow. We were persona non grata among our "fellow Russians" for daring to criticize the decision, shunned for making the observations presented in this video. May God have mercy on us all. I will die without ever seeing the ancestral homeland and thank God for it. May we all find peace in the afterlife through Christ.

[@russianchristianity]

Thank you for sharing. I hope you feel at home now where you and your family live

[@kgb4973]

Good, stay away

[@glhi4773]

Not at all, patriarch tikhon of Moscow was patriarch during the soviet union and he hated the government. Saying the Russian orthodox church is of the KGB is like saying the Greek orthodox church was the church of the janissaries or the ottomans. They are 2 completely different entities with 2 completely different faiths. Soviets are atheists, in fact. Atheism was encouraged in schools' magazines and calling to socially exile religious people in the soviet union. Bezbozhnik is a good example. Stalin's extent to supporting the church was deciding not to blow up cathedrals in World War 2. Also, khrushchev reversed his policy of orthodox religious tolerance. Priests at the beginning of the revolution were exacuted by the masses like with other clergy. Monasteries were closed down along with seminaries, and most churches were closed or converted to meusuems of atheism. Cathedrals had to be classified as landmarks, even though they didn't save them from being blown up. Soviet unions reaction to the orthodox church was even more violent than the reaction to Muslims.

[@russianchristianity]

True, I've talked about Tikhon in this video

[@JeanMarieDuchesne]

Bad argument to mention Greek Orthodox Church.. as the Sultan literally DID appoint a schismatic Patriarch, deposing the legitimate pro-union Patriarch. This is the clear beginning of Caesaropapiam in Orthodoxy.. where the State is supreme over Patriarch

[@wiktorsb1223]

Modern Moscow Patriarchate is sergianist, cooperating with masonic state leaders. Russian True Orthodox are the only continuators of St. Patriarch Tichon.

[@magicsend6864]

He was also poisoned by the NKVD.

[@russianchristianity]

@@magicsend6864 That's rumors. We don't have any evidence

[@markeedeep]

The question you pose is applicable to literally every autocephalous Orthodox church in the world today, with respect to the nature of their relationship with each of the state governments they happen to fall under. So why are you posing it for the Russian Orthodox Church, only?

[@alexandermarkus9587]

Absolute true. In some of my comments I mentioned BLESSED PATRIARCH PAVLE - who was accused of cooperation with Milisevic. God glorified him

[@markeedeep]

@@alexandermarkus9587 it's true. And they conveniently "forgot" to apologise to him when he also faithfully cooperated with the regime which toppled Milosevic, afterwards!

[@tlcetc4506]

And it seems that peoples pasts, in an inconceivable situation, are being held against them too strictly possibly.

[@SecureInMyHead]

Will you people get over the Soviet Union? It’s been 34 years! It’s not coming back, end of story!

[@odysseuskananas6790]

Exactly. Don’t they realize that Russia, Russians and the Russian Orthodox Church, its clergy and laity suffered under Communism more than we can ever understand…but that’s the arrogant Anglo-Saxon attitude.

[@russianchristianity]

I see your point and I would agree. However, what we have now in Russia is the Soviet Union 2.0. I'd love to forget about USSR and move on. I sort of did in the 1990s and early 2000s but then the reality hit hard.

[@SecureInMyHead]

@@russianchristianity if you say so

[@kgb4973]

@@russianchristianity retard

[@proudtitanicdenier4300]

@@russianchristianity may God let Russia finally become a free and christian nation. Not this nation portraying an image of christianity, meanwhile having some of the highest HIV, Divorce, Ab*rtion, Su*cide, and alcoholism rates on the planet. And shame on people like Tucker Carlson, pushing this myth that putins russia is christian.

[@liamfoley9614]

2:30 can't help but notice the photo of the renovationism clergy shows them clean shaven.

[@russianchristianity]

Good eye! Also, they introduced married bishops. I think part of the reason for all these innovations was not as much theological as just making the Church leadership mad

[@rouxmain934]

​@@russianchristianitytrue. Afaik we had married Armenian bishops right before the Council of Chalcedon

[@russianchristianity]

@@rouxmain934 Moreover, according to the Apostle Paul, a bishop is supposed to be "one wife's man." My point is, they probably went for married bishops not for theology but to mess up with the canonical Church

[@igarazha]

not all priesthood is supporters of the policy of the state. but the top of the priesthood is definitely yes

[@Seraphimofwoodstock]

Several years ago I met a woman who was the wife of a man who worked in the Kremlin. She had come to the United States for the sake of a family member who was severely ill and needed help. She made it quite clear that she and the people around her were very aware of priests who worked for the KGB or who were valid priests and were faithful to the church.

[@tlcetc4506]

​@@Seraphimofwoodstockdoes the KGB still exist? Is it in the same form? Could one work for the KGB, or whatever it is today, and be an Orthodox Christian?

[@igarazha]

fully agree with the final part of the video

[@russianchristianity]

Thank you. If I achieve anything with these videos, I hope this is it

[@charlesiragui2473]

What is the premise of this video? Are we judging the Church leadership against a historical standard? My limited knowledge of church history makes me believe that popes and patriarchs, being close to emperors and kings, were always thrown in with politics. Furthermore, it is incorrect to state that worldly power played no role in the Church, given the fact that the Ecumenical Councils were all necessarily convoked by the Emperor rather than patriarchs. The last Ecumenical Council was called in 787 by Irene through her minor son. Irene's subsequent seizure of power in her own name triggered the coronation of Charlemagne by the Pope and two hundred years of council and counter council between the East and West. These had theological issues to discuss but were largely about ecclesiastical and ultimately worldly power. Bottom line: the persecuted Russian Church, very much including its leaders, deserves our patience, love and prayers. By the grace of God, light shines in darkness.

[@russianchristianity]

To your question: the premise of this video is to address a recurring theme. I hear accusations towards the Church like these all the time, including the comments to my videos.

[@charlesiragui2473]

@ Got it. Perhaps you might know the answer to a question I’ve had for a long time. In 1970, a delegation from the US went to visit the patriarch of Moscow and asked for the churches in America to be granted autocephaly. Their request was approved. If the church was indeed controlled by the KGB (and to some extent it certainly was), why did the Soviet authorities give up this nice opportunity to infiltrate the US? It seems like divine intervention.

[@alexandermarkus9587]

​@@russianchristianityYou are posting nonsense. You are an ukrainian propagndist

[@alexandermarkus9587]

​@@russianchristianityPatriarch Aleksj will be glorified as Saint soon. Like Patriarch Pavle of Serbija

[@russianchristianity]

​@@charlesiragui2473 Good question. I don't have an answer to it because I haven't done research on this issue. There could be plenty of reasons, including some form of the Soviet diplomatic interests. Again, I'm not qualified to answer at this point

[@proudtitanicdenier4300]

Kiril doing things like blessing statues of Stalin is just heresy imo. I hope Russians will stop idolizing leaders that despise them

[@michaelsjourney777]

where did Patriarch kirill bless a statue of lenin???

[@proudtitanicdenier4300]

@michaelsjourney777 reread my comment..

[@russianchristianity]

@@proudtitanicdenier4300 Ok, but when did he bless the statue of Stalin?

[@michaelsjourney777]

@@russianchristianity yea id just like to get a source to check that

[@Alektoum]

How did Stalin despise them?

[@LazarúnZalonír]

TRUE ORTHODOXY!

[@dove5591]

It is the best Orthodox Church 🥰

[@russianchristianity]

Well, for the faithful, it's not an issue of quality or attractiveness. It's either the Body of Christ offering authentic sacraments and fellowship or it's not.

[@dove5591]

@russianchristianity it is

[@dove5591]

@russianchristianity You are Russian but you are aganst the Russian church?

[@dove5591]

I am a Protestat but as Orthodox I only accept the Russian and the Serbian and the Macedonian churches the rest of the Orthodox are Satanic and I see them as political organisations.

[@russianchristianity]

Where have I ever said that I'm against the Church?

[@markeedeep]

And how is your own salvation affected by the question posed?

[@russianchristianity]

It probably doesn't. But this channel is not about my own salvation

[@alexandermarkus9587]

​@@russianchristianityYes it is. You condamned yourself

[@jadenmental]

I think there is an important distinction to be made that was made some time ago. While not often quoted in Orthodox theology, since this was against the Donatists which was a universal issue and one that's resolution was celebrated on both the east and west, as opposed to issues of predestination and church hierarchy. That it matters in this regard. Ex opere operato, from the work performed. As opposed to ex opera operantis, from the one that is doing the work. Is important. As Augustine argued that sacraments were ultimately the work of God, and even if hypothetically a dirty rotten sinner was the one transferring said sacraments it is from God's power, not the lack of virtue on the part of the one that is administering the sacraments, that we receive our bounty. As far as the issue on how much the soviet union infiltrated and damaged the church it can be argued, I think understandably, that the damage was severe both in the external damage, such as loss of monasteries, but also internal damage, which was liquidation of priests but also fostering a culture of problematic practices such as priests reporting to the state, and sometimes even getting other members killed. These problems still to some degree exists today, and also suffer from certain cultural habits such as Russian gift cultures, which naturally leaves way to all manners of potential corruptions. That being said, as damaged as the church may be, I cannot imagine that it is so extensive that the church is entirely destroyed, and much less so damaged that all grace has left the sacraments they administer. May God bless you and may you be a blessing to the Russian church and beyond.

[@russianchristianity]

Very good point. I made a similar remark in the end of the video, saying that even if we consider the leadership corrupt, the Church is much more than that. Your remark is on point from the theology side

[@tlcetc4506]

Yes, and what is actually damaging, as my family experienced, is the continued slander of the Russian Church and others, by extention, here in the US by the "Genuine" and "True" Orthodox schismatics who use this history to disparage all other churches and preists.

[@jocelynyared2150]

Playing politics is the death of Faith.

[@crossfire7474]

Any chance the Russian people have options to be converted to other Christian denominations today?

[@russianchristianity]

Yes, plenty. You can browse across my videos, I talk about different Russian Christian communities: Old Believers, Protestants of all sorts, Catholics, etc

[@alexandermarkus9587]

​@@russianchristianityThese are SECTARIANS

[@russianchristianity]

I recommend chamomile tea

[@alexandermarkus9587]

​@@russianchristianityI recommend BOOKS, EDUCATION AND AN EXORCIST

[@jocelynyared2150]

Church and State are Separate but United in God. What belongs to Caesar is Caesar's, what belongs to God is God's.

[@russianchristianity]

Don't your statements contradict each other?

[@igarazha]

И как же акцент выдаёт автора)

[@russianchristianity]

Почему же выдает, я и не скрываюсь

[@benevenuto9794]

good vid. thank you, love detail.

[@russianchristianity]

Thank you

[@alexandermarkus9587]

It is nonsense

[@russianchristianity]

@@alexandermarkus9587 can you be more specific?

[@ApolloLeRoux]

TLDW; No.

[@russianchristianity]

well, if you DW, you can't have a weighed opinion

[@maratkaidauloff3585]

No

[@russianchristianity]

I wish I had as much assurance as you do

[@AyatollahS.A.Khamenei]

🤡

[@alexandermarkus9587]

​@@russianchristianityGod shall judge you!

[@russianchristianity]

@alexandermarkus9587, maybe. But for what? For sharing what I know and initiating a discussion? Have you seen the video?

[@alexandermarkus9587]

@@russianchristianity You know nothing, that's the problem! Christ said: GIVE TO THE KING WHAT HE DESERVES AND GIVE GID WHAT HE DESERVES

[@J.R2023]

Yea

[@Oo7Hola]

Every religion is political

[@russianchristianity]

Sadly, yes. But some at least strive for neutrality and non-involvement

[@alexandermarkus9587]

Communist Propaganda

[@russianchristianity]

@@alexandermarkus9587 What exactly?

[@alexandermarkus9587]

@@russianchristianity The same Propaganda than communists

[@russianchristianity]

What is the same propaganda as communists?

[@alexandermarkus9587]

Absolute nonsense

[@russianchristianity]

Can you address a specific point from the video? Or you're just reacting to the title?

[@alexandermarkus9587]

@russianchristianity We allready had a discussion. All your Videos are nonsense.

[@russianchristianity]

I don't remember our previous conversations. This one, however, lacks any substance. If my videos are nonsense and you don't want to address any specific points, why are you even here?

[@alexandermarkus9587]

@russianchristianity Your Videos lack substance not my comments. I can comment whetever I want to

[@alexandermarkus9587]

@russianchristianity KGB CHURCH? The communists my dear are the greatest criminals ever existed in history. They killed, tortured their own people. The destroyed Churches, desecrated everything holy, killed Bishops, picked their eyes out, crucified them on Church doors. They KILLED MILLIONS OF ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS. The Russian Orthodox Church had to make some compromises otherwise nothing would have been left. NOT EVERYONE IS A MARTYR