{"id":745,"date":"2010-12-10T13:14:00","date_gmt":"2010-12-10T18:14:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/roeanews.info\/?p=745"},"modified":"2024-02-20T16:49:56","modified_gmt":"2024-02-20T21:49:56","slug":"borusias-met-hilarion-u-s-amb","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/roeanews.info\/ro\/2010\/12\/10\/borusias-met-hilarion-u-s-amb\/","title":{"rendered":"Mit. Hilarion din BORusia & Amb. US"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Author: John Beyrle
December 10, 2010

WIKILEAKS REVEALS RUSSIAN CHURCH LEADER\u2019S CONVERSATION WITH U.S. AMBASSADOR<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 +Hilarion explain\u2019s Church\u2019s desire <\/strong>\u201cto promote current Government of Russia policies\u201d<\/em>
\u2022 Defends Church\u2019s lack of tolerance against <\/strong>\u201cnon-traditional religions\u201d<\/em>
\u2022 Laments that while \u201c<\/strong>\u2026.70-80 percent of Russians call themselves Orthodox\u201d, very few, (5%) attend church regularly and even fewer \u2018have their life influenced by the Orthodox faith\u2019<\/em>
\u2022 Accountability <\/strong>\u201ctheoretically possible<\/em>\u201d but <\/strong>\u201cdoes not always work in practice\u201d<\/em> Source: ocanews.org<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Russian website posted transcripts of [confidential US] <\/strong>diplomatic cables today obtained from the Wikileaks site, including a fascinating summary of a conversation between US Ambassador John Beyrle and Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev)<\/strong> held last year in Moscow.  The transcript of the Church leaders\u2019s comments as reported by the Ambassador were posted in both English and Russian:<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cC O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 MOSCOW 000241 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01\/28\/2020 TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PHUM, SOCI, RS SUBJECT: HILARION ON THE ROC\u2019S ROLE IN RUSSIA\u2019S DEVELOPMENT REF: 09 MOSCOW 2842 Classified By: Ambassador John R. Beyrle for reason 1.4 (d)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. (C) Summary: In a January 28 conversation with the Ambassador, Archbishop Hilarion <\/strong>freely admitted that the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) has been extending its reach further into all areas of society.<\/strong> The Church has recently adopted a more confrontational tone regarding the State Department\u2019s International Religious Freedom Report (IRF), and Hilarion defended the ROC\u2019s stance against some non-traditional religions. Hilarion also explained the ROC\u2019s desire to promote current GOR policies, including \u201cmanaged democracy.\u201d<\/strong> Despite the ROC\u2019s increased assertiveness, Hilarion acknowledged a gap between the Church\u2019s teachings and the daily lives of most Russians, especially youth, and wondered aloud how the ROC might address this problem. Despite this gap, Hilarion concluded, many Russians hunger for spiritual guidance, and the ROC intends to fill that gap.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. (C) In a January 28 conversation with the Ambassador, Head of the ROC\u2019s External Relations Division Archbishop Hilarion made the case for the Russian Orthodox Church\u2019s (ROC) recent push to assert its influence over Russian society and politics. By turns candid and circumspect, Hilarion <\/strong>freely admitted that the ROC has been ramping up its public statements in favor of its interests, and has been extending its reach further into heretofore secular areas of society such as children\u2019s education. Calling the ROC \u201ca significant actor\u201d in the life of the country, Hilarion said that Patriarch Kirill is \u201cnot only symbolic,\u201d but can also influence major currents in Russia, including its political development.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. (C) \u201cChurch diplomacy\u201d takes on the IRF.  The ROC has been referred to as \u201ca government within a government,\u201d a political entity as much as a theological one<\/strong> (reftel). As such, in Hilarion\u2019s view, the ROC has a role to play in Russia\u2019s relations with other countries, which is why Kirill considered it important to meet President Obama during his July, 2009 visit to Moscow. <\/strong>Hilarion echoed the Ambassador\u2019s support of the recent warming trend in U.S.-Russian relations, saying that \u201cnow is a good time to be an American Ambassador in Russia,\u201d and adding that the ROC is happy to lend its assistance in bringing bilateral relations to an even higher level. (Note: ROC leaders also frequently engage in \u201cChurch diplomacy\u201d in the near abroad, strengthening ties with Orthodox Churches in countries, such as Ukraine or Georgia, whose governments in the past six years have had tense relations with the GOR. End note.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. (C) Notwithstanding these improved relations, the ROC in November struck a confrontational tone regarding the State Department\u2019s annual International Religious Freedom Report (IRF), <\/strong>released in October. Hilarion<\/strong> penned a letter to the Ambassador \u2014 posted on the website of the ROC\u2019s external relations division \u2014 in which he complained of perceived U.S. support for \u201cextremists and Satanists.\u201d<\/strong> The negative tone of the letter (as well as the somewhat brazen manner in which it was presented) contrasted sharply with the ROC\u2019s initial public praise of the report\u2019s \u201cobjectivity\u201d in observing that the ROC has attempted to promote interfaith tolerance in Russia.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. (C) Hilarion defended the substance of the letter, saying that although \u201cwe are satisfied with the general dynamic,\u201d and \u201ceach report is better than the one before,\u201d there are still some issues that \u201cneed to be looked at carefully.\u201d If we look at religious freedom exclusively through American eyes, he explained, then the report will inevitably be imperfect<\/strong>, because it will not sufficiently take into account the individual historical and cultural development of Russia. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to discriminate,\u201d he said, but the distinction between traditional and non-traditional religions is \u201crooted in our history.\u201d (Note: As for the manner in which the letter was made public via the ROC website, Hilarion said that \u201cthe report was public, as well,\u201d but otherwise passed the buck to his predecessor, who he claimed had established the practice. End note.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hilarion added <\/em><\/strong>(rather disingenuously) that there is no law favoring traditional religions over non-traditional ones, a statement that was not true on its face \u2014 the 1997 Law on Religions elevates the status of the four \u201ctraditional\u201d religions (Orthodox Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and Buddhism) \u2014 and that also ignored the key question of the implementation of the law, which in practice has marginalized non-traditional groups. <\/strong>As if to underscore that point, Hilarion acknowledged that \u201csome groups\u201d within the ROC might express intolerant views, but Kirill consistently speaks out in favor of tolerance \u2014 and otherwise there are limits to what Church leaders can do to discourage this.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. (C) \u201cManaged democracy\u201d just fine for the ROC. On a more positive note, the Ambassador praised the ROC\u2019s ability to re-establish its moral authority and rebuild its institutions, in the space of a scant twenty years. Agreeing on this point, Hilarion noted that the ROC must heal wounds not only from the monumental changes of the past 20 years, but also from the destruction that took place in the past 90 years, since the Revolution. \u201cMost of our problems today are rooted in the Soviet period,\u201d he said, including the pervasive problems of corruption and hypocrisy. Hilarion emphasized<\/strong> the need for patience with Russia\u2019s development, a point we have heard many times during political discussions with Russian interlocutors (GOR officials and NGO activists alike), given that Russia has only had 20 years to build a democracy,<\/strong> unlike countries such as the U.S. or Great Britain, which built their democracies over hundreds of years. Hilarion also said that \u201cour democracy does not have to look identical to the U.S.,\u201d and, taking Russia\u2019s history and culture into account, should rather be a form of \u201cmanaged democracy.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. (C) Appearing to borrow from the United Russia playbook, Hilarion essentially equated authoritarianism with stability, noting that \u201cRussians have always liked having a strong and powerful figure at the top,\u201d and lambasting Russia\u2019s experiments with democracy in the 1990s<\/strong>, calling the election of 1996 a \u201ccatastrophe\u201d in which the country was paralyzed by its unappealing choice between Yeltsin, Zyuganov, and Zhirinovsky. As to whether Russia might aspire to a system in the future whereby the people hold their government accountable for its policies, Hilarion said that this was \u201ctheoretically possible,\u201d but does not always work in practice.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. (C) Hilarion made it clear that he sees a prominent role for the ROC in promulgating the GOR\u2019s current policies.<\/strong> Notwithstanding his claim that the ROC enjoys no special status among religions, he asserted that the Patriarch is not only the head of the Orthodox Church in Russia, but \u201cthe spiritual leader for the whole nation.\u201d He noted that on the November 4 National Unity Day, the Patriarch celebrated the divine liturgy in Red Square, then led a procession where he was followed by leaders of other faiths. The ROC also appears to be first among equals in the context of the new program to teach religion in schools in 19 regions of the country (reftel). (Note: Under this program, students will have a choice between studying one of the four traditional religions, or taking a course on \u201csecular ethics.\u201d Different religions will be emphasized depending on the majority population in the region where the program is taking place. End note.) Hilarion stressed that this is only a \u201cpilot program,\u201d but there is little evidence to suggest any GOR intention to abandon the program once it is underway. On that issue, Hilarion said only that the GOR would \u201cassess\u201d the efficacy of the program some time after its inception in the Spring.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

9. (C) A longer road to travel in the social sphere.<\/em> Although the ROC has accomplished a great deal recently in its efforts to gain more social and political prominence, a significant gap remains between its teachings and the ethos of modern Russian culture. The GOR may see no problems with eroding the wall between Church and State, but that appears to be affecting the ROC\u2019s political role more than its social one. Hilarion lamented that although 70-80 percent of Russians call themselves Orthodox, very few (about 5 percent) attend church regularly, <\/strong>and even fewer \u201chave their life influenced by the Orthodox faith.\u201d The Church\u2019s dilemma, he explained, is that it needs to build a bridge to young people who see no role for the Church in their lives, while at the same time maintaining the original essence of the Church\u2019s teachings. \u201cWe don\u2019t need to update or modernize services,\u201d Hilarion said, but \u201cwe must still overcome cultural and psychological barriers\u201d separating religious and secular life in Russia. In his opinion, the best forum for accomplishing this is education, and he envisioned a comprehensive program that raised awareness without appearing invasive.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

10. (C)  Comment. In the absence of a widespread, active following among most people <\/strong>(at least in their day-to-day activities), the ROC is clearly attempting to throw its weight around politically<\/strong>. For those of us accustomed to seeing a firewall between Church and State, the ROC\u2019s growing assertiveness, and open admission that they intend to pervade all aspects of public Russian society may appear alarming. At the same time, Hilarion is correct to note that Russia has been through cataclysmic changes in the past two decades, on top of decades of moral bankruptcy under communism. A widespread feeling of disgust at the excesses of oligarchs and \u201cnew Russians\u201d who acquired vast wealth during the sell-off of state assets in the 90s (and during the oil boom of the Putin years), is still strong among the populace at large. The feeling that people are surrounded by examples of empty values and cynicism has led to a corresponding spiritual hunger. The ROC seeks to fill that void, and we should be ready to address this phenomenon with open eyes, while making clear our view that the virtues of Christian tolerance should apply equally to the non-Orthodox faithful.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyrle<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Author: John BeyrleDecember 10, 2010 WIKILEAKS REVEALS RUSSIAN CHURCH LEADER\u2019S CONVERSATION WITH U.S. AMBASSADOR \u2022 +Hilarion explain\u2019s Church\u2019s desire \u201cto promote current Government of Russia policies\u201d\u2022 Defends Church\u2019s lack of tolerance against \u201cnon-traditional religions\u201d\u2022 Laments that while \u201c\u2026.70-80 percent of Russians call themselves Orthodox\u201d, very few, (5%) attend church regularly and even fewer \u2018have their life […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":246212808,"featured_media":1054,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[3205],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-745","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-english"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pfcdbO-c1","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/roeanews.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/image-128.png?fit=200%2C157&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/roeanews.info\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/745","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/roeanews.info\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/roeanews.info\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/roeanews.info\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/246212808"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/roeanews.info\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=745"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/roeanews.info\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/745\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1515,"href":"https:\/\/roeanews.info\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/745\/revisions\/1515"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/roeanews.info\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1054"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/roeanews.info\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=745"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/roeanews.info\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=745"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/roeanews.info\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=745"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}