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Communist leader: Catholic-Orthodox split fostered West’s hatred of Russia

March 28, 2017

Gennady Zyuganov, the head of Russia’s Communist Party since 1993, attributed “hatred for Russia” to “the split of Christianity into the Catholic and the Orthodox churches.”

“Crusaders destroyed and looted the capital of Byzantine Empire, Constantinople, in 1204,” he said in a speech to the Communist Party, according to the Interfax news service. “Catholic Poland vied for the Russian lands in the 16th century … Ivan the Terrible was described only in the blackest colors.”

Russia’s Communist Party is the nation’s second largest and holds 42 of the 450 seats in the Duma (parliament). Vladimir Putin’s United Russia holds 343 seats.

 


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  • Posted by: Louise01 - Mar. 28, 2017 9:27 PM ET USA

    after more than 800 years it's a wonder they remember the reason for their grudge

  • Posted by: Randal Mandock - Mar. 28, 2017 4:35 PM ET USA

    Since Catholics and Orthodox are now working seamlessly together in Jerusalem, Syria, and other locations under religious stress, what reason remains for hatred of Russia? Modern Russia is _not_ the Soviet Union. In fact, modern Russia _detests_ the atheist experiment that terrorized its citizens for almost 70 years. It was only by the strength and witness of St. JPII and the Christian Ronald Reagan that the Soviet system was smashed into oblivion. Looking for Christianity today? Look to Russia.