Friday, January 8, 2010

Putin Says Russia Will Return All Religious Property to Orthodox Church

The Interfax-Religion website reports that Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin believes Russian authorities and the Russian Church will find a civilized solution to all problems with regard to the transfer of state-owned assets to the Russian Orthodox Church.

"I am certain that based on the good relations they have established in recent years, the state and the Church will find the solutions that will return to regional organizations what they rightfully own, rather than destroy what was created in the past years," Putin said this week at a meeting with Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia at St. Daniel Monastery.

A bill has been prepared, titled "Regarding the transfer of the property of religious significance, currently in federal and municipal ownership, to religious organizations," Putin said.

This dilemma of Church property ownership in Russia is a by-product of the communist government that ruled Russia from 1917 to 1991, and seized control of all religious property in the nation.

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