The RIA Novosti (Russian) website reports today (September 20, 2010) that Russia's Orthodox Church priests will soon appear in the Russian army and navy to serve as military chaplains.
"By decision of the Russian president, the institution of military clergy is beginning to develop in Russia," Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia said yesterday.
He added, "Servicemen need spiritual support, This is because risks linked with military service are so great that they cannot be compensated by any material benefits."
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, two-thirds of the country's servicemen consider themselves religious. Some 83 percent of them are Orthodox Christians, about 8 percent are Muslims, and 9 percent represent other confessions.
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