[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 154 (Friday, September 19, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6779-S6780]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, what I am going to say is, remember the 
history of Putin saying 20 years ago that the breakup of the Soviet 
Union was a geopolitical disaster of the 20th century and that Putin's 
goal was to reestablish the Soviet Empire; and we see that going on 
every day with how he is destroying Ukraine.
  So everyone interested in religious freedom in Russia and Ukraine 
should read the recent report by the Free Russia Foundation. The Free 
Russia Foundation is an organization of Russians who wants a ``free, 
democratic, peaceful and prosperous Russia reintegrated into the 
international community as a constructive and positive actor.''
  This organization's recent report, entitled ``The Russian Orthodox 
Church and the War,'' demonstrates how this church body supports the 
ongoing invasion of Ukraine through propaganda, rituals for the 
invaders, diplomatic manipulation, and espionage. Now, doesn't that 
seem very odd for a church--any church--to have that as goals?
  The Russian Orthodox Church is also actively engaged in suppressing 
and persecuting other Christian denominations, including Orthodox 
believers who do not answer to Russia.
  It seems shocking to me to see Russians talk about the main Christian 
denomination in Russia in this way, but remember this: After initially 
persecuting Orthodox believers, dictator Joseph Stalin co-opted the 
Russian Orthodox Church to support the Soviet state. At that time, the 
Russian Orthodox faithful outside of Russia broke all ties with the 
Soviet-installed patriarch. Today's Russian Orthodox Church is 
dominated by leaders who came of age under the KGB-controlled church 
structure. Now understand this: The current patriarch of Moscow was a 
KGB agent, so it is no wonder that he is close to Putin.
  The Free Russia report documents the Moscow patriarch's blessing of 
the brutal Russian invasion of Ukraine. It quotes the patriarch's 
September 2022 sermon:

       Anyone who dies in the performance of military duty 
     sacrifices himself for the sake of others. Therefore, we 
     believe that such a sacrifice washes away all sins previously 
     committed.

  Now, as a Christian--and, I hope, for any Christian--I find that 
shocking. So does the ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople, the first 
among equals in the Orthodox tradition.
  He said of the Moscow patriarch's support for Putin and his war:
  It is damaging to the prestige of the whole of Orthodoxy because 
Orthodoxy doesn't support war, violence [or] terrorism.
  There has been a lot of propaganda claiming that the Russian Orthodox 
Church is somehow a victim of religious persecution in this war. In 
fact, it is a leading perpetrator of the persecution of fellow Orthodox 
believers, evangelicals, and other churches. I had a chance to meet a 
year ago with 30 church leaders from Ukraine who told how this 
persecution was going on.
  Don't take my word for it, though. Read this report that I have 
quoted from by these pro-democracy Russians.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.

[[Page S6780]]

  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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