The Kremlin's Pope

Patriarch Alexy II of the Holy Russian Orthodox Church passed away on Friday. The Russian Patriarch is usually seen as the #2 man in all of the Orthodox Church - Patriarch Barthomew of Constantinople is seen by most to be the prime leader of Orthodoxy. However, there has always been significant tension between Russia and Constantinople. Constantinople feels that the Russian Orthodox Church has become too cozy with the Putin regime.

Alexy became Patriarch as the Soviet Union was crumbling. He had the difficult task of resurrecting a Church that had been dominated and decimated by the Communist regime. As the Soviet Union fell, many other churches, including the Roman Catholic Church, began to make inroads in membership in many regions of the former Soviet Union. Alexy refused to allow any Pope to visit until the Roman Catholic Church got rid of the dioceses that had been established in the former Soviet Union after the fall of Communism. The dioceses are still there and no pope has made a visit. During Alexy's tenure, an increasing number of Russian citizens have claimed to be Russian Orthodox.

Archbishop Kirill has been named temporary administrator of the Holy Russian Orthodox Church until a permanent successor is named. For the past several years, Kirill has been the primary Russian Orthodox communicator to the Vatican. He has made several visits to the Vatican and numerous Vatican officials have visited him. He has helped build stronger relations between the East and the West. Should he become Patriarch, Kirill will likely work to build better relations between the Holy Russian Orthodox Church and the Vatican (and Constantinople, as well).