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Latest Questions

8 votes
2 answers
777 views
Does the Russian Orthodox Church actively support Putin and his war in Ukraine?
**Does the Russian Orthodox Church actively support Putin and his war in Ukraine?** I have heard that the Russian Orthodox Church under the [Patriarch Krill][1] is actually supporting Putin and his war on Ukraine. Is there any evidence to support this? Yes or no, how is the patriarchy handling this...
**Does the Russian Orthodox Church actively support Putin and his war in Ukraine?** I have heard that the Russian Orthodox Church under the Patriarch Krill is actually supporting Putin and his war on Ukraine. Is there any evidence to support this? Yes or no, how is the patriarchy handling this issue? See these YouTube videos: - Ukrainian priests of Moscow Patriarchate call to ban Russian religious doctrine - How Putin uses the Orthodox Church to boost his power
Ken Graham (81444 rep)
Apr 17, 2022, 03:24 PM • Last activity: Jan 30, 2025, 11:40 AM
3 votes
1 answers
413 views
What is significance of the pallbearers' red-black-red armbands during Navalny's funeral?
During Alexei Navalny's (Russian Orthodox) funeral on March 1, 2024, multiple photos show the pallbearers wearing the same red-black-red armbands on the left arm, as seen in [Photos: Crowds attend Navalny funeral as Kremlin warns against protests][1], [In pictures: Defiant Russians gather for Alexei...
During Alexei Navalny's (Russian Orthodox) funeral on March 1, 2024, multiple photos show the pallbearers wearing the same red-black-red armbands on the left arm, as seen in Photos: Crowds attend Navalny funeral as Kremlin warns against protests , In pictures: Defiant Russians gather for Alexei Navalny's funeral , and Funeral of Alexei Navalny in Moscow – in pictures , for instance. Looking back, it seems that the (military) pallbearers during Gorbachev's funeral also wore similar armbands, but in this case those were black-red-black, as seen In Photos: Gorbachev Laid To Rest After Moscow Funeral That Putin Didn’t Attend . I am aware that plain black armbands are sometimes used as a sign of mourning, but I could find no reference to the red color. Is this typical for (Russian) Orthodox funerals or is this a political/cultural/regional thing? What is the significance of the red color specifically? Do they have a specific name, and what is their origin? ![Four Russian men with red and black armbands carrying a coffin ][6] ![Several Russian peoples along the side of a street; some men are wearing red and black armbands ][7] ![A Russian man wearing a red and black armband speaks with a military official ][8] ![A Russian man holds a black and white photo of Gorbachev while four military men with black and red armbands stand nearby ][9]
DK2AX (131 rep)
Mar 1, 2024, 05:48 PM • Last activity: Apr 17, 2024, 09:15 PM
11 votes
2 answers
2424 views
Is the Russian Orthodox Church pressing the government of Russia to ban Jehovah's Witnesses?
As early as today (April 7 2017) the Supreme Court of Russia may ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. This would make it a criminal offense for Jehovah's Witnesses even to meet together to pray. Additionally all of their properties will be seized by the Government. It is suggested that behind th...
As early as today (April 7 2017) the Supreme Court of Russia may ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. This would make it a criminal offense for Jehovah's Witnesses even to meet together to pray. Additionally all of their properties will be seized by the Government. It is suggested that behind the scenes and even openly the Russian Orthodox Church is responsible for inciting this crack down on freedom of religion in Russia. An article in Christianity Today stated in part : > “A ban on Jehovah’s Witnesses is just the beginning in a series of repressions. Society needs an internal enemy to which the government can point in full cooperation with the Russian Orthodox Church,” Cherenkov said. “The silence of Protestants with regard to repressions against Jehovah’s Witnesses will merely unleash a new wave of restrictions and repressions. Additionally see the article from Forbes entitled "An Un-Holy Alliance" [(Un)Holy Alliance: Vladimir Putin, The Russian Orthodox Church And Russian Exceptionalism](https://m.forbes.com/sites/paulcoyer/2015/05/21/unholy-alliance-vladimir-putin-and-the-russian-orthodox-church/?c=0&s=trending) Is the Russian Orthodox Church actually encouraging such intolerance? Update the Russian government has banned Jehovah's Witnesses as an extremist group. (April 20,2017) See: https://www.google.com/amp/mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKBN17M1ZT
Kristopher (6166 rep)
Apr 7, 2017, 04:11 PM • Last activity: Dec 26, 2022, 01:10 AM
3 votes
2 answers
351 views
Did Pope Francis' consecration of Russia and Ukraine fulfill all the demands that Mary requested at Fatima in 1917?
**Does the [Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary of Russia and Ukraine](https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/prayers/documents/20220325-atto-consacrazione-cuoredimaria.html) on March 25, 2022 by Pope Francis fulfill all of the requests asked for by the Virgin Mary at Fatima in 1917?**...
**Does the [Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary of Russia and Ukraine](https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/prayers/documents/20220325-atto-consacrazione-cuoredimaria.html) on March 25, 2022 by Pope Francis fulfill all of the requests asked for by the Virgin Mary at Fatima in 1917?** Not being an expert in this domain I would like to know if the [Consecration of Russia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consecration_of_Russia) and Ukraine meets all the necessary requirements that Mary asked for in 1917? On March 17, 2022 the pope invited all the bishops to join him in making this consecration! [(Source)](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gWwEjhobnrJnrcMMZ29E__B226k-m2nz/view) This question was inspired by this question: [Was Russia properly consecrated to the Immaculate Heart?](https://christianity.stackexchange.com/questions/90095/was-russia-properly-consecrated-to-the-immaculate-heart) One thing is very obvious: Mary has a very dear love for Russia in her Immaculate Heart. > On [March 15,] 1917, Tsar Nicholas II abdicated from the throne. That same day, the Reigning Icon of the Mother of God was revealed to a peasant woman in Kolomenskoye. Many believe the reappearance of the icon was an indication that the Virgin Mary was displeased with Russia for dethroning Tsar Nicholas II during the February 1917 Revolution. > > The Reigning Icon of the Mother of God is believed to date from the 18th century. It is considered one of the most revered both inside Russia and in Russian emigre circles. > > The icon was originally venerated in the Ascension Convent, in the Chertolye neighborhood near the Moscow Kremlin. In 1812, as Napoleon Bonaparte’s Grande Armée approached Moscow during the French invasion of Russia, the icon was taken to the village church in Kolomenskoye for safekeeping and subsequently forgotten until 1917. > > At the end of the February Revolution of 1917, on 15 March (O.S. 2 March) 1917, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia abdicated the throne. That same day, Evdokia Adrianova, a peasant woman in the village of Pererva in Moscow Province, dreamed that the Blessed Virgin appeared and spoke to her. She was instructed to travel to the village of Kolomenskoye, where she would find an old icon which, “will change colour from black to red.” - [15th March: Reigning Icon of the Mother of God Revealed](https://tsarnicholas.org/2019/03/15/15th-march-reigning-icon-of-the-mother-of-god-revealed/) Interestingly, in Russia, both Catholics and Orthodox prayed to Mary on Friday, March 25th, 2022, the latter at the request of Russian Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, who asked the faithful to do so a day after the Vatican announced Pope Francis’s request. See this YouTube video: [Pope Francis consecrates Russia & Ukraine to Immaculate Heart](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HE7PUNO185Y)
Ken Graham (81444 rep)
Mar 26, 2022, 12:23 AM • Last activity: Apr 16, 2022, 11:25 PM
2 votes
2 answers
221 views
Was Russia properly consecrated to the Immaculate Heart?
Has a pope already properly consecrated Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, in accordance with the requests of [Our Lady of Fatima][1]? [1]: https://isidore.co/calibre/#panel=book_details&book_id=3111
Has a pope already properly consecrated Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, in accordance with the requests of Our Lady of Fatima ?
Geremia (42439 rep)
Mar 17, 2022, 11:40 PM • Last activity: Apr 15, 2022, 11:06 PM
4 votes
2 answers
11111 views
What is the meaning of the three letters in the halo of the Acheiropoieta?
In many renditions of the **Acheiropoieta**, three letters are present in the halo around Christ's face: **omega, omicron, eta**. (This is the usual clockwise, left-to-right order; but in other versions the same letters are present in the order omicron, omega, eta.) **What is the meaning of these le...
In many renditions of the **Acheiropoieta**, three letters are present in the halo around Christ's face: **omega, omicron, eta**. (This is the usual clockwise, left-to-right order; but in other versions the same letters are present in the order omicron, omega, eta.) **What is the meaning of these letters?** I heard **in a tour of a Greek Orthodox church ** that the letters refer to **God's revelation of his name in Exodus 3**. However, the crucial words in the Septuagint - the historic Greek-language version of the Old Testament - are ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ὤν ("I am who I am"). None of these words includes the letter eta. Is it that case that the three letters are actually omicron, omega, **nu** - which is to say that they spell out ὁ ὤν ("the one who is")? Acheiropoieta
Tom Hosker (522 rep)
May 13, 2021, 04:23 PM • Last activity: Nov 27, 2021, 07:42 AM
4 votes
1 answers
232 views
Who are the people depicted in Dionisius' famous icon of Christ's descent into hell?
The renowned **Russian Orthodox** icon painter **[Dionisius][1]** produced a famous, and exquisitely beautiful, depiction of **Christ's descent into hell**. However, I'm having trouble identifying most of the figures depicted therein. More specifically: * Who are the people **above** the barrier whi...
The renowned **Russian Orthodox** icon painter **Dionisius ** produced a famous, and exquisitely beautiful, depiction of **Christ's descent into hell**. However, I'm having trouble identifying most of the figures depicted therein. More specifically: * Who are the people **above** the barrier which Christ has broken? Are they newly-liberated souls, or were they - in the logic of the painting - saved before Christ's descent? Whose wrists is Christ clasping, and why? * Who are the figures in the bluish haze which surrounds Christ? * Who are the greyish winged figures **below** the barrier? * Who is the figure at the very bottom of the icon? Why are the two angels grabbing him? * Who are the white-clad figures in the bottom corners of the icon? enter image description here
Tom Hosker (522 rep)
Dec 3, 2020, 01:37 AM • Last activity: Apr 21, 2021, 04:00 AM
2 votes
2 answers
142 views
Is a Saint Joseph the patron of men named Osip?
In the [name day tradition][2] children are named after a patron saint according to their birthdays. A boy born in Russia on or near the feast day of some Saint Joseph might thus be named Iosif. Osip is a Russian derived form of Iosif. I can identify no Saint Osip. Does the name Osip suggest a patro...
In the name day tradition children are named after a patron saint according to their birthdays. A boy born in Russia on or near the feast day of some Saint Joseph might thus be named Iosif. Osip is a Russian derived form of Iosif. I can identify no Saint Osip. Does the name Osip suggest a patron Saint Joseph?
user33987
Nov 12, 2018, 11:56 PM • Last activity: Jun 19, 2020, 01:08 AM
6 votes
2 answers
253 views
The ramifications of the severing of ties between the Eucumenical Patriarchate and the Russian Church
This may be highly politically charged right now, however can anyone please explain what previously intercommuning churches will be directly impacted by the severing of ties between the Eucumenical Patriarchate and the Russian Orthodox Church (other than the obvious schism between Constantiople and...
This may be highly politically charged right now, however can anyone please explain what previously intercommuning churches will be directly impacted by the severing of ties between the Eucumenical Patriarchate and the Russian Orthodox Church (other than the obvious schism between Constantiople and Russia)? Moscow breaks communion with Constantinople Will other churches lose communion with Russia? With Constantinople? Are there other effects that we can expect to see?
Matthew Briggs (131 rep)
Oct 16, 2018, 06:47 AM • Last activity: Nov 24, 2018, 05:32 PM
5 votes
1 answers
165 views
What is this icon that Putin touches/kisses at monument of St.Vladimir?
The Russian Federation (along with some other Slavic nations), [recently celebrated the 1,030th anniversary of the Christianization of the Rus'][1], which included a liturgy at the monument to Vladimir the Great near the Kremlin. In [this video][2] (time- 23:45), President Putin (followed by the Pat...
The Russian Federation (along with some other Slavic nations), recently celebrated the 1,030th anniversary of the Christianization of the Rus' , which included a liturgy at the monument to Vladimir the Great near the Kremlin. In this video (time- 23:45), President Putin (followed by the Patriarch) is seen bending forward and touching/kissing some icon/relic encased in a gilded box. What exactly is this gilded box (or the item contained within it)? ---------------- Granted, since this event is also a tribute to St.Vladimir, I guess this is some relic associated with him? (I'm not entirely sure though.)
paracetamol (283 rep)
Jul 28, 2018, 03:34 PM • Last activity: Aug 10, 2018, 01:49 PM
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