The particular stories are apparent, but the trend and its portents seem hardly noticed. Who is Vladimir Putin, and why? Is Russia becoming more like the US of the 1950’s, while the US is degenerating to behaving like a 3rd rate Banana Republic, where whoever is in power makes the rules, even if basic decency and moral tradition are trampled? Maybe. We are all too familiar with what has been happening in the US, but what do you make of this trend in Russia? (All the following are from LifeSiteNews, except the last one from Zenit.) If you don’t have enough time to digest it all, just skim through the red headlines. But be sure to read What in the World? at the end.
April 2, 2013: No more gay adoptions of Russian children: Putin by Hilary White
Excerpts: MOSCOW – Homosexual couples from abroad will not be allowed to adopt Russian children under new adoption rules backed by President Vladimir Putin. The move follows the implementation of a new law on January 1st preventing adoption of Russian children by American couples. Putin has asked for amendments to be drafted to the current adoption laws by the Ministry of Education and Science and Supreme Court, Izvestia newspaper reports.
With the economic crisis that followed the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia became a favorite destination for foreign couples looking to adopt children. Since 1991, experts believe that as many as 60,000 children have been adopted to parents in the US. President Putin has made reversal of these trends a high priority for his government…. Almost alone among European leaders, Putin has considered limited measures to curb the country’s abortion rate, thought to be among the highest in the world.
Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said in January that improving the Russian Federation’s demographics remains a high priority for the government. … He promised more government funds for building kindergartens and monthly allowance for mothers who give birth to their third and subsequent children.
July 1, 2013: Vladimir Putin signs bill protecting children from homosexual propaganda by Hilary White
Excerpts: “Russian Prime Minster Vladimir Putin signed the bill to outlaw the promotion of homosexuality, “same-sex marriage,” and Gay Pride parades throughout the Russian Federation. The national law reinforces and expands previous regional legislation in St. Petersburg, against distributing “non-traditional sexual concepts” to children, describing such actions as attractive, promoting a “distorted understanding of social equality of traditional and non-traditional relations” and being involved in the “unwanted solicitation of information that could provoke interest in such relations.” Putin warned Western countries to mind their own business.
At the same time, Putin signed the bill that outlaws desecration of religious objects or places or offending religious sensibilities. It will allow for fines up to half a million rubles ($15,600) and up to three years imprisonment for intentionally disturbing places of worship, and a year in jail for offenses committed elsewhere. Premeditated and public desecration of religious objects or books will also be punished…. The law was proposed after a punk band disrupted services at Moscow’s Christ the Savior Cathedral, performing a profanity-laden song and dance around the altar mocking Christianity. Its members were convicted on charges of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred and sentenced to two years in prison…. German MEP Werner Schulz (Greens/EFA) gathered the signatures of 45 other MEPs to award the band the European Parliament’s Peace Prize.” [sic; yes you read that right!]
“Few people know that their aggressive actions have taken place under the slogans of the LGBT community,” … “Following the conviction, a wave of anti-Christian incidents [occurred], including the destruction of crosses commemorating the Christian victims of Communism, an attack on the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, and the theft of relics from the Church of St. Catherine the Great Martyr in St. Petersburg. A bare-chested FEMEN protester also attacked Patriarch Kirill in July, with the words “Kill Kirill!” written on her body. … public opinion in Russia is strongly in favor of reining in the homosexual movement and the anti-Christian “progressivist” agenda.”
August 1, 2013 World Leaders should unite to end anti-Christian persecution, Vladimir Putin says. By Hilary White
Excerpts: “Vladimir Putin has urged the world’s political leaders to stop the violent persecutions against Christians that have erupted in many Middle Eastern countries. He noted ‘with alarm’ that ‘in many of the world’s regions, especially in the Middle East and in North Africa inter-confessional tensions are mounting, and the rights of religious minorities are infringed, including Christians and Orthodox Christians.’”
“This pressing problem should be a subject of close attention for the entire international community,” Putin said. Putin praised the growth of cooperation between the Orthodox Churches and the Russian state, saying … that the Church was giving Russians a moral compass when so many were looking for help. “… millions of our compatriots see it in religion,… trust the wise, pastoral word of the Russian Orthodox Church.”
He added that it was the Church that was ultimately responsible for the development and rise of “culture and education” in Russia over the last 1,000 years. “The adoption of Christianity became a turning point in the fate of our fatherland, made it an inseparable part of the Christian civilization and helped it turn into one of the largest world powers,” Putin said.
Patriarch Kirill, said … the attempts to push Christians out of Syria would lead to a “civilization catastrophe” … and has “been critical of the lack of response to the crisis facing Christians in the Middle East by US and other Western leaders.” Orthodox leaders at the meeting also condemned the growing secularist suppression of Christian freedoms in non-Muslim countries like Britain, where “gay marriage” has just been created. Metropolitan Hilarion, the Russian Orthodox Church’s chief ecumenical officer, said “secularization in disguise of democratization” is leading Western nations toward totalitarianism. He spoke of a “powerful energy today [that] strives to finally break with Christianity, which controlled its totalitarian impulses during 17 centuries.”
Patriarch Kirill said of the same-sex “marriage” fad sweeping the Western world, “This is a very dangerous apocalyptic symptom, and we must do everything so that sin is never validated by the laws of the state ….”
September 3, 2013: Poll finds majority of Canadians disagree with Olympic boycott over Russian homosexuality laws by Thaddeus Baklinski
Excerpts: “In a new poll of Canadians by Forum Research, the majority (58%) disagree that Canada should boycott the 2014 Sochi Olympics, while less that one third agree with such an action (32%). However, a slightly smaller majority (56%) also think Canadian athletes at Sochi should be allowed to show their support for homosexuality by wearing rainbow pins or carrying rainbow flags, an activity forbidden by the International Olympic Committee (IOC)” charter.
Eighty-one percent of respondents said the law makes no difference to their plans to travel to Sochi, while almost 70% said it makes no difference to their intention to watch the games on TV. The head of Great Britain’s Olympic mission for Sochi, Mike Hay, said that his team is ignoring the calls for a boycott.
[T]he Russian government recently voted, 436 to 0, to ban homosexual propagandizing by foreign or domestic activists. The legislation effectively outlaws “gay pride” festivals and stops attempts by foreign homosexualist activist groups to normalize their lifestyles or campaign for same-sex legal recognition in Russia.
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin defended the bill, saying that while it is “necessary to defend the rights of sexual minorities,” Russian public opinion must also be respected. A state-sponsored poll found that 88 percent of Russians agree with the homosexual propaganda ban. (See link at the end in which US Athletes are required to take an oath re same sex non-discrimination.)
October 26, 2013: Vladimir Putin receives Virgin Mary ‘fertility’ relic as Russia fights abortion, population decline, by Matthew Cullinan Hoffman
Excerpts: SAINT PETERSBURG – Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was personally present at a St. Petersburg airport on October 20 to receive an Orthodox relic of the Virgin Mary from Greek monks bringing it from the Vatoped Monastery on Mount Athos. The relic, which is believed to be a belt worn by Mary, the mother of Jesus, is also believed to be associated with miraculous restorations of fertility.

Orthodox Christians, as well as Catholics and Coptics, believe that God performs miracles in association with objects used by saints. Hundreds of women lined up to see the relic, and Orthodox priests performed a rite of veneration upon its arrival.
“One of the reasons why we asked the Vatoped Monastery to be able to bring the Sacred Belt to Russia is the demographic situation of our country. We hope this will help stimulate interest in the spiritual revival of our society and family values.” [T]he Russian Parliament voted recently to restrict abortion in most cases to the first twelve weeks of pregnancy, following decades of demographic decline.
November 25, 2013: Russia bans ads for abortion by Thaddeus Baklinski
Excerpts: MOSCOW: The Russian Federation has enacted a new law banning abortion advertising in the ongoing effort to stem the country’s decline in population, according to Russian media, part of broader changes to Russia’s Federal Law on Advertising that include a ban on advertising offering free drug samples if these samples contain narcotic or psychotropic substances, and restrictions on the advertising of traditional “folk medicine” practices.
“The Duma is considering … other proposals [to] stop Russia’s demographic death spiral, fueled by an abortion rate of 1,022 per 1,000 births, according to some statistics [including] legislation [to] ban free abortions at government-run health clinics; require prescriptions for the ‘morning-after’ pill; require parental consent for teenagers and a husband’s consent for married women; and mandate a one-week waiting period before an abortion is performed, … increasing the 2,000 ruble ($70) monthly government subsidy offered to pregnant women.”
Earlier this month the head of the State Duma Committee for Family and Children said the Russian people must stop tolerating abortion and the recent rise in surrogacy because they threaten to “wipe out the population of Russia.”
Mizulina added that though the practice of surrogacy was relatively new in Russia, the societal implications are of great concern to her. “We still can stop the consequences of this practice from happening. “Humanity will probably understand one day that as we ban nuclear weapons to prevent the death of Mother Earth, so should we ban the technology destroying the natural environment and natural childbirth, the natural way of human reproduction.” She said that she believes the Russian people as a whole are against surrogacy, as they are in favor of “Orthodox Christian spiritual values and the family as the keeper of these values.”
Pro-life legislation aimed at rolling back Russia’s abortion culture has been strongly supported by the Russian Orthodox Church. Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia proposed a series of measures on the Moscow Patriarchate’s website, urging the Ministry of Health and Social Development to make “preservation of pregnancy a priority task for the doctor” and discourage incentives for abortion.
The Russian patriarch also advocated state support for pro-motherhood media campaigns, and suggested setting up crisis pregnancy centers in every maternity hospital to help “lonely mothers in difficult life situations.”
November 25, 2013 Russian President Vladimir Putin Meets with Pope Francis by Junno Arocho Esteves
Excerpts: VATICAN CITY: Russian President Vladimir Putin was received in the Vatican Apostolic Palace by Pope Francis, … the first between the Russian head of state and the Holy Father….
At the traditional exchange of gifts between the two leaders, the Holy Father gave the Russian President a mosaic of the Vatican gardens. Presenting his gifts, President Putin gave the Holy Father an icon of the Madonna of Vladimir, an image venerated by Russian Orthodox Christians.
“Do you like the icon?,” President Putin asked the Pope, to which he simply replied: “Yes.” Sources present at the meeting said that the Russian president then made the sign of the cross and kissed the icon, to which Pope Francis followed and kissed the image as well.
Following the meeting, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Holy See Press Office, [noted] that the meeting was “cordial” and “constructive”. [He] also said Pope Francis expressed his gratitude to President Putin who conveyed the greetings of the Patriarch of Moscow, Kirill I.
How in the World?
Or was it outside the world? The last time I paid much attention, the degenerate USSR and its pointman Russia were depraved and deprived but now there are hints of Russia’s pursuing a more righteous course. A friend asked me how in the world this could have happened. I reminded her that we spent about 20 years saying 3 Hail Mary’s after every Mass for the Conversion of Russia. So — how about this? Shall we write to Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church and ask him to have the Russians say 3 Hail Mary’s after their Mass for the conversion of the United States et al?
Related Stories
No more gay adoptions of Russian children: Putin
Russian Orthodox Church condemns gay ‘marriage’ legislation in UK, France
Poland votes against same-sex unions, while Russia defends the family
Media howl as Russia protects its children from gay propaganda
Russia will deport foreigners for homosexual propaganda; Duma passes bill 436-0
Immigration Minister: Canada will ‘seriously’ consider refugee claims by Russian homosexuals
World leaders should unite to end anti-Christian persecution, Vladimir Putin says
Gay ‘marriage’ a ‘sign of the apocalypse’: Russian Patriarch
Vladimir Putin signs bill protecting children from homosexual propaganda
Russia denounced by euro-socialists for prohibiting promotion of homosexuality among minors
Russian Supreme Court upholds St. Petersburg ‘gay propaganda’ ban
Vladimir Putin receives Virgin Mary ‘fertility’ relic as Russia fights abortion, population decline
Gay panic over new Russian laws
U.S. Olympic athletes must promise to fight ‘discrimination’ based on ‘sexual orientation’
Low Birth Rate is Russia’s Biggest Problem Says President Putin
Mainstream media coverup plans to have Olympic athletes smuggle gay propaganda into Russia
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I would be careful holding up Putin and Russa as a model Christian nation. It is still quite the oppressive regime and Putin is still very much a Soviet era KGB man. Here are some links to consider:
http://www.amnestyusa.org/sites/default/files/ai_brief_-_human_rights_in_russia_2013_0.pdf
http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/04/24/russia-worst-human-rights-climate-post-soviet-era
And while this is an opinion piece, it adds some context:
http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/02/opinion/frum-ukraine-russia/
Let’s not get dithered or follow a red herring either — nobody is “holding up Putin and Russa [sic] as a model Christian nation.” Doubt that there is any such thing, anyway. This is just a collection of SOME stories over the last 8 months, interesting to note. Have any been rescinded? Or were they all true, and still true? This seems to be a fair contrast with stories coming out of many other countries, including the USA. Wonder WHY? And I wouldn’t turn down anybody’s prayers for us either, even if the Hail Mary is in Russian.
Diane,
Excellent! Yes, it’s sad when you begin to side with the values of the “Russkies” more than your own president. Thanks for the fine analysis of the legislative initiatives spearheaded by Mr. Putin. I laughed out loud when I read your suggestion that the Russian Orthodox pray 3 Hail Marys after the Divine Liturgy for the US. Great idea!! I pray they do it. And I hope they pray the Our Father too.
Please google the Rimski-Korsakov Our Father sung by the choir of St. Isaac’s Cathedral in St. Petersburg on Youtube. It’ll knock your socks off. (No cantor with a microphone there…) And then google it sung by the congregation of St. George’s RC Cathedral in England. It can be sung in 4 parts by any congregation without a cantor. AND it’s the most beautiful setting of the most beautiful prayer.
God bless Russia, perhaps we should consecrate the US Specifically to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Here’s an update on Vlad from today’s LifeSiteNews: http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/russia-chooses-life-bans-all-abortion-advertising?utm_source=LifeSiteNews.com+Daily+Newsletter&utm_campaign=5d4690ee8f-LifeSiteNews_com_US_Headlines_06_19_2013&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0caba610ac-5d4690ee8f-326215702
Russia has now banned ALL abortion advertising. Steven Mosher reports that last month, Putin signed a law banning abortion advertising. “Some members of the Duma (the Russian state assembly), are talking about going even further and banning the procedure itself. The Russian Orthodox Church, whose numbers are swelling with converts and “reverts,” is weighing in as well. One Orthodox prelate called abortion a ‘mutiny against God.’”
This gives us great hope for the U.S. since Russia has had a very high abortion rate. damaging the health and fertility of Russian women. “Abortion was forced on the Russian people by the Bolsheviks” … “with legalized abortion up to birth. Their goal was to destroy the family by encouraging women to get abortions, get out of the home and into the workforce.” This is a long term, deeply entrenched practice which is being abated.
“Taken individually, each of the laws put in place by the Russian government has a fairly small demographic impact. [But] the cumulative effect of all of the pro-life, pro-natal policies taken to date is far more significant. While there are still, according to the Russian Health Ministry, 1.7 abortions for every live birth in the country, that ratio is shrinking as the birth rate climbs and abortion becomes gradually less common.”
“Russia’s population decline has been virtually halted, and the country has been put on a more stable demographic course.”