Russian Orthodox Church calls for calm amid election protests
December 12, 2011
The Russian Orthodox Church has called for calm in the face of widespread protests about voting fraud in the country’s recent elections.
Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, the chief spokesman for the Moscow patriarchate on political affairs, conceded that “serious questions were raised” about the fairness of the voting, and called upon government leaders to “respond in an adequate and honest manner.” At the same time, however, he cautioned against public unrest, saying that “the most important thing now is to maintain civil peace and now allow a new 1905, 1917, 1991, 1993.”
The Orthodox cleric’s statement cited the dates of previous upheavals in the Russian political system. It also seemed to suggest an equivalence between the Communist revolution and the peaceful overthrow of the Communist regime.
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