In The New York Times:

In just a few months as patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, Kirill I has staked a claim to a powerful voice in the country’s affairs and to newly energized leadership of the only sizable institution in Russia outside of Kremlin control.

In two recent gatherings of thousands of students in Moscow and St. Petersburg, he notably reached out to young people, wading into Russia’s swirling debate over its identity almost 20 years after it shook off communism and embarked on an uncertain quest for greater economic and political freedom.

In his appearance in Moscow, Patriarch Kirill, embodying the contradictions of modern Russia, expressed both nationalist sentiments and alarm over threats to Russia’s youth — especially alcoholism and the market economy.

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