RUSSIA RELIGION NEWS

Monitoring news media reports about religion in Russia and other countries of CIS
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Decision of Golovin court regarding Jehovah's Witnesses

The full text of the court decision banning Jehovah's Witness activity in Moscow consistently accepts hostile testimony and rejects favourable testimony, including the conclusions of a previous court decision. Looking at the most recent decision, it is notable that only unproven allegations and not proven court cases are cited in the claims made about the legality of Jehovah's Witness activity in Moscow. Many of the claims made about the Jehovah's Witnesses practices could also be made of other religious communities practices as well (Forum 18 )

Decision, part one

Decision, part two

Commentaries:

Moscow court decision - a fair cop?

Full Moscow court decision slams JWs

Ukrainian and Russian leaders want unity in Orthodox churches of their countries

UKRAINIAN PRIME MINISTER VIKTOR YANUKOVICH FOR UNITED ORTHODOX CHURCH
Portal-credo.ru, 30 May 2004

Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich spoke out in favor of unification of the Ukrainian Orthodox churches. Yanukovich said this to reporters on 30 May after members of the government participated in the festival liturgy for the feast of the Holy Trinity in the cathedral of the Dormition in the Kiev caves lavra, the "proUA.com site reported.

"I consider that we most certainly must strive for this and that will be a glorious day when the Orthodox churches unite," V. Yanukovich said. Responding to the reporters' question about what he prayed for in church, the prime minister answered that he asked that God would help Ukraine to overcome adversity and would give happiness to the Ukrainian people.

In Ukraine there exist the Ukrainian Orthodox church of the Moscow patriarchate, the Ukrainian Orthodox church of the Kiev patriarchate, and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox church, which is friendly to the latter. (tr. by PDS, posted 30 May 2004)

PUTIN WANTS CHURCH REVIVAL
Big News Network.com, 28 May 2004

President Vladimir Putin has pledged he will do everything he can to revive the Russian Orthodox Church, Interfax news agency said Thursday.

We will do everything possible to create conditions for the full-scale revival of the Russian Orthodox Church and for the restoration of its unity, Putin said at a meeting with the head of the Moscow-based Orthodox Church, Patriarch Alexei II and the head of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, Metropolitan Laurus.

The process of reunifying the Russian Orthodox Church is more than an internal church process, Putin said. It is a symbol of the revival and reunification of the Russian people themselves. I deliberately avoid speaking about two churches because the Russian Orthodox Church is a single entity in the mind of the Russian people, the president added. (posted 30 May 2004)

Russia Religion News Current News Items

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