Russian Orthodox Church says military intervention in Syria is a 'holy war'

(The Christian Science Monitor) For many in the West, the idea that a church would take an overtly hawkish stance in the conflict in Syria is an utterly foreign concept.

But then, the Russian Orthodox Church is not Western, said Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, the church’s most recognizable spokesman, in his Moscow office.

“The idea that church and state should be alienated from each other is not a characteristic of Orthodox civilization,” said the senior cleric, whose eyes almost seem to burn. “It’s a characteristic of the West.”