Patriarch < Pope ??

[Master]

I would like to hear your opinion on why is the russian orthodox church so afraid of the pope??

The Russian Patriarch opposes any visit of the pope to Russia or Ukraine. Could you imagine the opposite ever happening in present day??

In my opinion this reflects deep insecurity amongst the ranks of the Russian church. Where does this insecurity come from? I advance the following answers:


- During the soviet regime the Russian orthodox church (ROC) was totally subservient to the regime. There is nothing new about this. The ROC being a national church was always totally dependent on the temporal power of the time.
On the other hand the roman catholic church (RCC)has always been a universal church covering many diffferent regimes. Since the pope was not totally dependent on only one king or emperor its secular power was always much bigger than that of the patriach

The colusion communism+ ROC has discredited the ROC in the eyes of many.

-The RCC is known to be associated with higher learning in a scale well beyond the ROC. The association with learning gives the catholic church added prestige.

-The ROC has traditionally been a conduit for xenophobia and social bakwardness. Having to be dragged kicking and screaming into the present. The catholic church was fortunate to have to face the reformation which forced it into the real world . Although in some ways it is still kicking and screaming.


I urge you to resist the temptation to answer with the obvious challenges to the catholic church such as inquisition and other gigantic crimes commited through history.
What is at issue here is the present day situation.

Master

PS- by the way I am totally Areligious ( not anti religious)