New Orthodox Patriarch Pulls No Punches

ST. PETERSBURG — In just a few months as patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, Kirill I has staked a claim to a powerful voice in the country’s affairs and to newly energized leadership of the only sizable institution in Russia outside of Kremlin control.

In two recent gatherings of thousands of students in Moscow and St. Petersburg, he notably reached out to young people, wading into Russia’s swirling debate over its identity almost 20 years after it shook off communism and embarked on an uncertain quest for greater economic and political freedom.

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In 2006, Patriarch Kirill held a meeting with rock music stars, some of whom have become devoutly Orthodox, and last summer he spoke at a rock concert in Kiev during festivities marking the 1020th anniversary of the baptism of Rus, which brought Orthodoxy to Russia from Byzantium.

One of his appointees, the Reverend Vsevolod Chaplin, has proposed creating “Orthodox nightclubs,” where young people would gather for late-night fellowship and discussion. There are even Orthodox bikers, and Patriarch Kirill reminded the crowd in St. Petersburg that he used to ride a motorbike.

To some Russian observers, Patriarch Kirill has taken a page from Pope John Paul II, who was often regarded with suspicion by Russian church men.

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