ROCOR Synod of Bishops Condemns Revival of “God-Opposing Ideologies” in Russia, Warns of “Dark Stain” on National Identity

OCP News Service – 07/06/2025

New York- USA: The Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) has issued a stark statement, expressing profound alarm over what it perceives as a dangerous resurgence of “false, God-opposing ideologies” within certain circles of the Russian state and society. The Synod warns that this trend, if continued, risks transforming Russia into a “dark stain amongst the nations,” rather than the “radiant beacon of Orthodox Truth” it is called to be. (Source: Statement by the Synod of Bishops, ROCOR, June 5, 2025).

The statement, titled “Statement by the Synod of Bishops on the renewal of 20th-century ideologies in Russia,” highlights significant concerns regarding a revised 2024 state document, “The Concept of State Policy on the Commemoration of the Victims of Political Repression.” The Synod argues that alterations from the 2015 version indicate a “rising tendency to whitewash the crimes of the God-fighting regime of the twentieth century,” and represent a “backwards-step” that “closes the door of repentance” through “silencing and distortion of history.”

ROCOR points to several “appalling” practical manifestations of this mentality, including the recent erection of statues of Joseph Stalin and Felix Dzerzhinsky in Moscow, despite their roles in “inhuman and anti-Christian crimes.” The Synod also notes plans for the restoration of Lenin’s mausoleum on Red Square and an “alarming trend” of revoking previously enacted rehabilitations of individuals, including clergymen, who were wrongly condemned during the Communist era. These “de-rehabilitations,” often conducted without new evidence and shrouded in secrecy, are seen as “casting individuals slandered by the Soviet regime…into the abyss of the historical falsehoods of the totalitarian period.”

The Synod recalls its own experience and that of the Moscow Patriarchate in glorifying the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia, emphasizing the importance of confronting the truth of the past. It criticizes instances of “Bolshevik propaganda” echoing in modern public discourse, citing a recent professor’s assertion that Tsar Nicholas II “destroyed and ruined Russia.” The Synod also expresses regret that the Moscow Patriarchate has not made a clear determination on the authenticity of the Royal Family’s relics despite commission conclusions.

Calling for “clarity to this serious challenge,” ROCOR stands ready to offer aid, prayer, and support in resisting these tendencies. The Synod urges all Orthodox peoples to recognize their authentic history and to “walk the path of freedom and light, clearly renouncing the darkness of the past rather than pursuing its revival and glorification.” It reiterates its historical mission to fearlessly proclaim the “simple Truth of Holy Orthodoxy,” free from state or worldly ideology, and calls upon Orthodox faithful worldwide to join in resisting these concerning impulses.

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OCP News Service