Karl Marx’s famous declaration of religion being the opium of the masses continues to raise interesting discussions even today, as various observers debate the new role of church-and-state ties in the context of moral ambiguity and armed conflict.  Russia is one of the most interesting examples, though not the only one, where the government’s professed ties to the Orthodox Church and vice versa appears unitary in some instances, but fractured and potentially contradictory in other cases.  If it was communism’s failure to account for culture, religion, and nationalism in its theory for worldwide proletariat revolution, then will it be new regime’s success or future fiasco to incorporate so tightly with the religious institution?  Furthermore, might the divisions exposed by the war in Georgia be exacerbated if events take a certain course during the economic crisis?

The passing of Alexei II certainly brought a number of these questions back into the foreground, as this editorial from Spanish newspaper El Pais brings to light the renewed proliferation of media outlets linked to the Orthodox Church.  (The publication Foma, discussed in the article, maintains an English website here.)  Keep in mind that in typical style of Spanish journalism, the argument here is very subtle and suggestive.  Our exclusive translation: