Top Soviet official explains the new thinking on religion IN APRIL 1988 Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev had a meeting with the Russian Orthodox Patriarch Pimen of Moscow. Nothing like It had happened since the meeting between Stalin and leaders of the Russian Orthodox Church In 1943, when the Soviet dictator sought to mobllize Russian patriotism against the Nazi Invaders.
In the article published here the erstwhile president of the Soviet
Council for Religious Affairs, Konstantin Kharchev, explains to a group of teachers at the Higher Party School In Moscow the new thinking on the possibilities for collaboration between Church and state. The speech was given in March 1988 and Is translated here from the version that appeared in the Russian language version of
Atmoda, the paper of the Latvian People's Front, of 18 September. Kharchev views the Church both as a possible source of charitable assistance to a collapsing social security system and as a place where a sense of social commitment can be revived. This latter theme has been taken up by a number of Soviet writers recently, while the Orthodox Church Itself has been pushing for a greater role in soclal work. Kharchev was removed from his post in June, having been put out of circulation since the start of this year, According to his own account.
he fell foul of elements in the party apparatus, the KGB and the leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church Itself. This letter will have objected bitterly to Kharchev's support for the re-legalization of the Ukrainian Uniate Church which was suppressed in 1946. The Russian
Orthodox Church collaborated closely with the Stallnists on this, taking over the property of the outlawed Unlates, In 1986 half of the functioning Orthodox Churches were In the Ukraine. It Is generally reckoned that most Ukrainlan bellevers would return to the Unlate Church If they could, an event that would have a massive Impact on the material position of the Russian Orthodox Church. Kharchev himself described the Unlate issue as a problem on the scale of the
Berlin Wall, at the Third World Congress on Religlous Liberty In London on July 24. It is certainly an obstacle to one of Gorbachev's cherished public relations projects, a visit to the Saviet Union by
Pope John Paul Il, who is also the spiritual leader of the Unlates.
The Unlate Issue is an aspect of the growing confrontation over national rights in the Soviet Union, Russian Orthodox Metropolitan Fllet of Klev (in the Ukraine) has explained that It the Unlate Church were allowed to re-emerge it would be a source of religious and national enmity. Meanwhile his colleague, Metropolitan Pitirim of
Volokolamsk and Yur'ev, turns up as a member of the council of a Russian netionalist formation, the Union for the Spiritual Revival of the Fatherland DOCUMENT
International Viewpoint #173 • November 13, 1989
the USSR towards a lessening of religiosity. Each year there are a million funeral services in the USSR (20% to 30% of those that die) and, in my opinion, the funeral service is the most reliable proof of religiosity, given that, while alive, people have to watch out for their livelihoods. Some 30% of youth are Christians. Previously it was the practice to demand the production of a passport at baptisms. This provided the possibility of identifying believers and influencing them by administrative means.
The practice of producing a passport in church is not even in accordance with the 1929 law and, in general, inasmuch as the Church is legally separated from the state, no Church document has weight in any state institution, and no civil document (identity card, passport and so on) in the Church. Now, the practise of producing a passport in church has been changed on our initiative. And, strangely, those most opposed to this change were the priests themselves. The reason is simple: the fee for an official baptism is five or six roubles, but up to 100 roubles for a secret baptism.
Party loses control over believers
We [the party] fell into a trap in our anti-Church policy of issuing prohibitions and humiliating people. We divided the priests from the believers, but this did not inspire the believers to have more faith in the local authorities. The party and the government more and more lost control over the believers and in addition and as a consequence we saw the emergence of spiritless believers, that is, people who go through the ritual motions and are indifferent to communism. What is better for the party? A spiritless person or a sincere believer? IT IS HARDER TO
USSR
CONTROL THE INDIFFERENT! A paradox? But there is no contradiction here. Here we see something striking. Despite all our efforts, the Church has survived, and not only has it survived, but it us undergoing a revival. And this confronts us with the question: what is better for the party? Someone who believes in God or someone who believes neither in God nor in communism? I think that is necessary to choose the lesser evil. According to Lenin, the party must bring all spheres of the life of citizens under its control, including believers, and history has shown that religion must be dealt with seriously and for a long time.
It is easier for our party to turn a sincere believer in religion into a sincere believer in communism as well. Here we come up against a problem. The development of a new type of priest. The selection and training of priests is a matter for the party! Think-tank on party-Church relations
Comrades! Here the party must apply its scientific method. I appeal to you: as quickly as possible you must create, if not an institute, at least a think tank for the study of party-Church relations and for the relationship between socialism and religion. We will provide the necessary materials. But at present, we do not have any scientific apparatus, since in the period of repressions and in the time of stagnation things were allowed to take their course, in the expectation that in the right conditions religion would die away by itself. The biggest successes in control over religion and the suppression of its activities were achieved amongst the priests and bishops of the Russian Orthodox
Church. At first this was a cause for rejoicing, but now it threatens to produce unforeseen consequences.
The activity of the Russian Orthodox Church is controlled and restricted, and its activities do not lead one to fear trouble, (although, the patience of even the most cowed servant is not unlimited). On the other hand, the strength of other confessions is worrying. This includes the Catholics, who are still managing to keep themselves afloat, and the stormily growing sects, amounting to some 57 confessions, with some 15,000 congregations.
Previously, we put pressure on the Orthodox Church and gave free rein to the sects, since we feared that they would go underground and we would finally lose all control over them. But in fact the Catholics, Protestants, Baptists, Adventists and many others have centres and leadership bodies beyond the reach of the soviet regime with the result that their rapid growth is fraught with unforeseeable consequences.
The party is interested in a new type of Russian priest. At present the priests are often not connected with their parishes, often coming from other towns or even from other nationalities. They arrive once a week on Sundays in their parish by car, perform the liturgy and that's it. This suits a lot of people. They are not responsible for anything, not for their flock, not for the finances nor for the upkeep of the churches. When the license is used, the commissioner warns the priest: "take your 350 roubles and keep your nose out of things!" What goes on in the parish neither priest, nor the commissioner nor the party know. And we are talking here of the 70% [of the population] who are believers; it's no joke.
Need to influence and work with believers
Clearly we have to work with them and have an influence on them. And then there is the issue of the restoration and upkeep of churches. Two thousand of the 6,800 churches are architectural monuments. Would it not be better if this work were undertaken by those who use the churches?
Let us look at the question of the bringing up of children. Whether we want it or not, you cannot wrench their children away from believers. Although it is forbidden for children to serve in church, and this is applied strictly in the case of the Orthodox Church, we are not able to exercise control over the influences on children in the other confessions. In Lithuania, 20,000 children are studying the catechism, and this takes place underground. When such a child asks why there are shutters on the windows and why it is not possible to tell anyone that he is studying the Law of God, the adults reply: "The Antichrist rules here, and does not allow 21 you to study the eternal truths of the
USSR good." One can imagine what attitude such a child will have towards the Soviet regime when he or she grows up.
I can understand your perplexity. I too am opposed to the teaching of God's Law in school. But what to do? In Central Asia there are hundreds of underground Koranic schools where mediaeval ideas are taught, instilling a hostile attitude to the rule of the "infidels".
I raised this question of education and got into hot water. "Now we've heard everything; In the 70th year of Soviet power - Sunday schools. What will people say!" I ask you to understand what I am saying. I am against Sunday schools, but what to do?
The second point of Lenin's decree: the Church should not exist as a legal entity. But I also read on Lenin's writings: "every public organization enjoys the right to a legal status.' If the Church is not a public organization, then what is it? In Jerusalem from the times of [Tsar] Alexander, there have existed church properties. We say, "give this property back to the Soviet people!" They reply: "We are not opposed to that, but tell us who it belongs to!" I must repeat: I am not trying to call the Leninist decree into question, but I want to remind you of the Leninist idea that politics begins when you start talking about millions of people. The party's policy towards the millions of believers must be as advantageous as possible.
And then again, how are we to understand the slogan about "the Church is separate from the state and the state from the church"? The priests are also Soviet citizens, and also regularly vote for us. And if you look at all these peace, cultural, children's committees and funds "these people" are everywhere (he describes in gestures the religious headgear and the long priest's beard - laughter in the hall).
Angry calls from party veterans
It is worth mentioning incidentally that when they were shown on the TV, I got a lot of telephone calls, including from party veterans. "Why has this been permitted? Why are they on film? This is some kind of religious propaganda!" I answered that I did not put them there. We have to change our way of thinking about the Church and the priesthood. If someone we know becomes a priest, we should not look upon this as something abnormal.
The conclusion could be drawn that an intensive process of penetration by the Church into the state's policy is taking place. And let us look at the thing soberly. Whether we like it or not, religion is entering into socialism. It isn't even walking in, but driving in like a train. And insofar as we have the whole power, it is I believe, within our power to adjust the rails to this side or that according to our 22 own interests.
When we got to know of the experiences of the Hungarian Communists, we were shocked: "you have a priest in your parliament!" They replied "The object of the parliament is to represent all social layers without exclusions." I can only recall one occasion when a priest was a member in a regional soviet of working people's deputies; I think it was somewhere in the Baltic. He did a lot of useful work.
I am not for the growing together of Church and state. The real task at the present time is for the party to take proper account of the Church. There are 60 of us in the Council for Religious Affairs and we are not in a position to deal either with theoretical or practical problems.
We interpret the law on the separation of Church and state as if it prohibits charitable activities. Now in Moscow, as well as in other large cities, there is a catastrophic lack of young medical personnel in the hospitals and of basic nursing staff. Moscow is short of some 20,000 staff. Church activists came forward with a request to be allowed to help as charitable volunteers. What to do — to give permission or refuse it? Give permission and let them carry out the bedpans. And what would it do for the political moral reputation of Communists if the dying people were to pass away with the thought that the Soviet state was unable to give them bedpans.
Mother Teresa has offered help
We cannot now permit such charitable activities because the Catholics would take them up (the famous Mother Teresa has already offered her help, along with Protestants, Baptists and Adventists. The Orthodox Church finds itself in such a depressed condition that it cannot muster the necessary resources for such work.
Many problems, comrades, many! Like you I used to think that it was just a matter of a few old women, but just take a look in a church! There are able-bodied people of our age, and many young people. Look at the social composition of the students in the seminaries. Some 70% are workers and peasants.
### Answers to questions
• What type of Infringements of Soviet law are met with from those working for the local authoritles and from priests?
The main infringement on the part of the local officials and bodies is a persistent resistance to opening churches. There is also constant interference in the personal lives of believers. For example where there are believers in work collectives they are harassed. Materially, perhaps dangerously so.
Efforts are made to crush them morally. Honors are not hung on the notice-board, certificates are not given, the collective will not celebrate their birthdays and so
International Viewpoint #173 • November 13, 1989
Local o fartal has ever bee punt a sin for on. As far as I can remember not a single breaking the law on religion.
The priests are punished at every step. A recent event made a big impression. A regional secretary was dismissed, although they let him stay in the party. But this was already too much. In a region in the Ukraine, they decided to launch a struggle against the increasing influence of religion. And what did they come up with? In the best 1930s spirit they surrounded the church in a big village with police.
They drove up trucks and barbarously broke down the doors and took away the icons. And this was surely the will of God! (laughter). The machine skidded in the middle of the main street - it couldn't go forwards nor backwards. And these statesmen could think of nothing better than, in front of the believers, to stick the icons under the wheels. They got the truck moving again and took the remaining icons and burned them in a field.
There was nothing for it but to get rid of the first secretary, the deputy for propaganda, the deputy for ideology and some others. We restored the church. But how long are young children going to be told when they come into the church that here there was the icon of John the Baptist that was burnt by the godless Communists. With such a policy, what kind of a relationship can the Soviet government have with the people? Do not forget, comrades, we have lost the game in a lot of cities. • When will it be possible to buy Bibles? 350,00 are pes bibice in to been. There are few bibles. There have been Now, at the time of the Millennium [of the conversion of Russia] the Patriarchate is printing 100,000 copies. We are importing 100,000 from Switzerland, and we are allowing the Baptists to import 100,000 from abroad. This is not many, in my view.
When I asked the higher ups to increase the print run they said: "What a lot you want!" There is hardly any religious press here. The Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate prints 30,000 copies — it's a drop in the ocean. Now a Moscow Patriarchate Herald has begun to appear, and it is very nicely produced. But this is a purely publicity effort, counter propaganda for abroad.
Millenium belongs to whole nation
In general, in connection with the Millennium, the party's policy has undergone a certain transformation. Some years ago, it was decided not to take part in the celebration and to pass it over in silence. Now it has been decided to treat this anniversary as belonging to the whole nation and as a general cultural event.
UNESCO has been approached with the
idea of making it an event of world significance. A celebratory meeting will be held in the Bolshoi Theater. There is a plan for the members of the Council of the Clergy [Pomesry Sobor] to be greeted by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet. So many problems with the separation of church and state!... Lenin only gave indications and a general outline. Our task is to find a concrete solution. What does it mean to separate the Church from the state, and to separate it by how much? And how is it possible to separate the people of the country from it? • How many churches have been opened in the past three to five years?
In the past year 16, and the year before that, ten. At present there are 68 dioceses and 20 monasteries. The Patriarchate is requesting the return of the KievanPechersk lavra [monastery of first rank]. This question has now been resolved. The Danilov Monastery is going to cost the Patriarchate 32 million roubles; Tolgsky, 30 millions. In fact we did not manage to give back the Tolgsky Monastery before money started coming in from believers. They have already collected 1 million roubles.
From time immemorial, people have not spared money on churches and monasteries. The Tolgsky Monastery will house the first almshouse for retired priests. The Church does not have its own system of social security. I call on all our academics and specialists to work out a way of legally regulating such questions, in a way which responds to our interests. • What is the income of the Orthodox Church?
It has an official annual income of 312 million roubles (70% from candles and the like, 30% from collections.) The Church puts some 35 million of this in the Peace Fund.
These are the official figures. Nobody knows the real figure. One day of anniversary celebrations is going to cost a million roubles. I am talking here about the celebrations, the reception of guests, of pilgrims to Vladimir, Kiev and so on. • Will there be processions?
On the 900th anniversary in 1888 processions took place in Kiev. There were several processions, and they met at the Vladimir monument. There has been no request for this from the Patriarchate. They have only brought up the question of the meeting of celebration in the Bolshoi Theater. • Is It possible that new churches will be built?
Undoubtedly they will. It is not always possible to restore the old churches. There is even a question of a project for a standard church design. *