Russia To Build Multi-million Dollar Patriarchal Mansion

MariaJLM · May 22, 2019

I don't know how reliable this article is, but I'm pretty disgusted right now if it's true. Because our bishops, and especially our Patriarchs, are supposed to be setting an example and are bound to monastic vows I firmly believe that they should be living more simply. What happened to the Christian humility here?!

Not to mention that the millions being used on this project could be going towards helping Russia's needy. The mothers especially who are seeking out abortions because they cannot afford to care for a child.

Russia is Building $43M Mansion for Orthodox Patriarch, Media Reports - The Orthodox World

archer75 · May 22, 2019

Moscow Times reports it, too, citing this Russian-language tidbit from The Bell.

MariaJLM · May 22, 2019

archer75 said:
Moscow Times reports it, too, citing this Russian-language tidbit from The Bell.

Okay so it is legit. Any shred of respect I had left for Kiril is now gone.

archer75 · May 22, 2019

MariaJLM said:
I don't know how reliable this article is, but I'm pretty disgusted right now if it's true. Because our bishops, and especially our Patriarchs, are supposed to be setting an example and are bound to monastic vows I firmly believe that they should be living more simply. What happened to the Christian humility here?!

Not to mention that the millions being used on this project could be going towards helping Russia's needy. The mothers especially who are seeking out abortions because they cannot afford to care for a child.

Russia is Building $43M Mansion for Orthodox Patriarch, Media Reports - The Orthodox World

Yeah, I wonder about our bishops, too. When I read about St. John Maximovich when I was an inquirer, that lifestyle became normalized in my mind. Makes sense to me a bishop should have a room and an icon corner. These days, access to a computer and email, basic personal effects. Not sure what else they need, since they're not supposed to be married.

MariaJLM · May 22, 2019

archer75 said:
Yeah, I wonder about our bishops, too. When I read about St. John Maximovich when I was an inquirer, that lifestyle became normalized in my mind. Makes sense to me a bishop should have a room and an icon corner. These days, access to a computer and email, basic personal effects. Not sure what else they need, since they're not supposed to be married.

Their own vehicle perhaps since they need to travel around places, but that's about it. They're meant to be monks so this whole mansion shtick that Kiril has going on is DISGUSTING.

-Sasha- · May 22, 2019

MariaJLM said:
I don't know how reliable this article is, but I'm pretty disgusted right now if it's true. Because our bishops, and especially our Patriarchs, are supposed to be setting an example and are bound to monastic vows I firmly believe that they should be living more simply. What happened to the Christian humility here?!

Not to mention that the millions being used on this project could be going towards helping Russia's needy. The mothers especially who are seeking out abortions because they cannot afford to care for a child.

Russia is Building $43M Mansion for Orthodox Patriarch, Media Reports - The Orthodox World

I think this is at Tsarskoye Selo (Tsar's Village...now part of the town Pushkin), which is also a historical site...not a new building being erected by any means. It isn't surprising that the government would want to spend money on updates or restoration. A lot of it was destroyed during ww2 and as far as I know, they've been working on repairs and renovations since then.

ArmyMatt · May 22, 2019

is His Holiness building the mansion, or is it a gift to him?

MariaJLM · May 22, 2019

ArmyMatt said:
is His Holiness building the mansion, or is it a gift to him?

Even if it was a gift that doesn't make this okay. He could be converting it into a homeless shelter or something. I would if I was some Patriarch.

-Sasha- · May 22, 2019

ArmyMatt said:
is His Holiness building the mansion, or is it a gift to him?

Nobody is building a mansion. As I mentioned above, this is part of a huge restoration project that the Russian government has been working on for decades.

You can read more about the broader restoration and repair efforts this is part of here:
Reconstruction of Tsarskoye Selo Monuments Destroyed During WWII will Take 25 years
Feodorovsky Imperial Cathedral - Blog & Alexander Palace Time Machine

ArmyMatt · May 22, 2019

MariaJLM said:
Even if it was a gift that doesn't make this okay. He could be converting it into a homeless shelter or something. I would if I was some Patriarch.

well, you are not the Patriarch. you also don't know what he will do with the renovations.

ArmyMatt · May 22, 2019

-Sasha- said:
Nobody is building a mansion. As I mentioned above, this is part of a huge restoration project that the Russian government has been working on for decades.

You can read more about the broader restoration and repair efforts this is part of here:
Reconstruction of Tsarskoye Selo Monuments Destroyed During WWII will Take 25 years
Feodorovsky Imperial Cathedral - Blog & Alexander Palace Time Machine

so, it's a gift in other words.

Andrei D · May 22, 2019

ArmyMatt said:
is His Holiness building the mansion, or is it a gift to him?

It;s being renovated, a historical building. It looks like it's the property of Russian government and will stay so.

Andrei D · May 22, 2019

The Patriarch in an Orthodox country is assimilated to a top level statesman. Has to have a *public* residence and a place to host high level guests. Nothing remotely unusual for Orthodox nations. It is a point of pride for the Russian people that their Patriarch receives other heads of Churches and state official in an impressive place. My two cents.

ArmyMatt · May 22, 2019

Andrei D said:
It;s being renovated, a historical building. It looks like it's the property of Russian government and will stay so.

right, so His Holiness doesn't have a hand in it really.

rusmeister · May 23, 2019

I don't like the idea of hierarchs living ostentatiously. I think it's bad when it even only LOOKS like the Church is in bed with the government.

But that said, you really ought to ask people who are really familiar with a source whether it is friendly or neutral towards, or an enemy of the Church. And the MT is decidedly run by enemies of the Church. To read an article from there uncritically and treat it as fair journalism would be extremely foolish.

Andrei D · May 23, 2019

As far as I can tell it is accurate, except for the literary license of saying it is "for Kiril" instead "for the Patriarch" -- since it is an official residence for whomever is Patriarch, not a personal gift to Kiril.

Platina · May 23, 2019

It's also not just intended to be a patriarchal residence - his residence will be just one part of this whole complex that will be used for receiving guests of all sorts, for other bishops to stay in, there's a church, etc.

gurneyhalleck1 · May 23, 2019

I would cool my jets on this issue. If the patriarch moves into a mansion, it's not ideal and the optics suck. But I'm more worried about people coming into Orthodoxy with non-Orthodox ideas polluting the faith. I'm tired of a spade not being able to be called a spade. I'm worried about heresies, modernism, perversion, and secular nonsense infiltration than I am the square footage of a house or whether or not the patriarch has a fancy back-splash in his kitchen with a whole-house fan.

Zummi · May 23, 2019

Not going to lie, this is pretty bad optics for a Church that is already viewed by many as corrupt and an arm of the Russian government, whether the perception is true or not. Remember though, the Patriarch had a palace in Constantinople as well

Andrei D · May 23, 2019

I don't know about other Patriarchs, but even in relatively poor Romania the Patriarchate has a Palace. So maybe I am biased because see it as status quo, while for others is an outrageous novelty.

Russia To Build Multi-million Dollar Patriarchal Mansion

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