>Perhaps this isn't popular to say, but I think Putin did a good job arresting Russia's total collapse. But now he's turned into a megalomaniacal despot using the revolting Orthodox Church as a prop. Yuck.
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>Doug
The church forgives you and PR:
Tikhon Shevkunov, who is widely believed to be President Vladimir Putin’s spiritual counselor, said on state television Saturday that his church forgave the singers after their "punk prayer" in the Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow in February.
"We did forgive them from the very start. But such actions should be cut short by society and authorities," said the cleric, who heads Moscow’s Sretensky Monastery.
Archpriest Maxim Kozlov agreed, but he also said on state TV that his church hopes the young women and their supporters change their ways.
"We are simply praying and hoping that these young women and all these people shouting in front of the court building, committing sacrilegious acts not only in Russia but in other countries, realize that their acts are awful," he said. "And despite this the church is asking for mercy within the limits of law."