Patriarch Kirill Gundyaev of Moscow and all the Russias (1946- ), with Cuban President Raúl Modesto Castro Ruz (1931- ) in Moscow. His Holiness has stated his position clearly… Neoliberal “conservatism” and “free market” capitalism are fraudulent. Those who try to link Orthodoxy to such extremists as Rush Limbaugh and Sarah Palin should stop… they are not in step with the Church.
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Patriarch Kirill Gundyaev of Moscow and all the Russias condemned the American economic blockade of Cuba as unjust. “We recognise that Cuba is in difficult economic straits due to the economic blockade. We have repeatedly said that the [American] blockade of Cuba is utterly unjust”, His Holiness said at a meeting with Ricardo Alarcón de Quesada, the President of the National Assembly of People’s Power of Cuba. Vladyki Kirill believes that such a blockade “doesn’t correspond to the political and economic realities of the 21st century, it’s nothing but a vestige of the Cold War, and it’s very important that we remove this useless relic as quickly as possible from the international arena. Cuba has shown the world that she can live under an economic blockade, but there’s no reason why Cuba can’t live like any other state, free to trade with whomever it pleases, to develop whatever bilateral contacts that it will with the outside world”.
His Holiness believes that the Cubans, who “suffered so much throughout their history, now bravely defend their independence and their right to build their lives on an equitable basis”. In turn, Sr Alarcón thanked the Patriarch for his “generous words regarding the economic situation caused by the confrontational attitude of the United States. The Cuban people have proven that they can survive under siege, but, in truth, it’s a very hard thing to do. In our country, millions of people suffer”.
In reply, the Patriarch pointed up that Christianity unites both countries, and said that that the Moscow Patriarchate serves the Russian Orthodox Christians who live in Cuba, of whom there are several thousand. He thanked the Cuban government for its assistance in building a Russian Orthodox parish church in Havana, which is a religious and social centre for the resident Russians, Ukrainians, Byelorussians, and Moldovans. Patriarch Kirill assured Sr Alarcón of the readiness of the Moscow Patriarchate to promote the strengthening of Russian-Cuban relations. He was glad that the MP could contribute to the restoration of relations between the Ophthalmologic Centre in Havana and the Fyodorov Institute of Ophthalmologic Microsurgery in Moscow.
30 November 2010
Interfax-Religion
http://www.interfax-religion.ru/?act=news&div=38476
Editor’s Note:
His Holiness has spoken. All good Orthodox Christians should put it to the GOP… “Abandon the blockade or we abandon you”. There’s no middle course, truly. Let me reiterate, there’s no common ground between Holy Orthodoxy and the Neoliberal “conservative” movement. NONE WHATSOEVER. Neoliberalism preaches a soulless and godless worship of Mammon, and we all know what Our Lord Christ said on that. Don’t let their smarmy Sectarian rhetoric fool you… look at Joe Miller! A Christian gentleman and patriot would have conceded the election, but power and greed rule this monstrous excuse for a human being… just as it moves all of the elected officials affiliated with the Tea Party.
You can stand with His Holiness or you can stand with the Tea Party… that’s the choice, clear and simple. I’ve chosen… what about you?
BMD
Voices from Russia 
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