Právo: Prague archbishop compares Pussy Riot to Stalin

Prague, Sept 11 (CTK) - Prague Cardinal Dominik Duka should not speak of issues he does not know well, Alexandr Mitrofanov says in Pravo daily Tuesday, referring to Duka's words that the Pussy Riot's disgraceful protest in a Moscow church reminds of the church's blasphemy destruction by Joseph Stalin.

Under Stalin, this Orthodox church, the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, was demolished in 1931. It was rebuilt only in the 1990s.

The members of the Pussy Riot music band sang a song critical of President Vladimir Putin in the cathedral in February. In August, three of them were sentenced to two years in prison.

Mitrofanov says Duka considers the issue worth his attention, although most Czechs are not interested in the fate of the naughty girls nearly one month after the verdict against them was issued.

He says Duka as an authority, minimally for members of the Czech Roman Catholic Church, should not speak of issues he does not understand well enough because he may influence the opinions of other people.

Duka made the statement in a speech broadcast by Czech Radio on Sunday.

Mitrofanov says the Christ the Saviour Cathedral is owned by the Moscow city authorities, not by the Russian Orthodox Church.

Moreover, religious ceremonies are only one of the many types of activities that are performed in this huge building, including car washing, organising banquets with music or commercial presentations of goods, and selling various items, he writes.

Christians will surely remember what did the person after whom the cathedral is named do to those who sold and bought goods in a temple, Mitrofanov says.

Duka argues that Pussy Riot's "punk prayer" sung in the church was blasphemy because it mocked religious rituals such as making the sign of the cross and used vulgar language, he writes.

It is no wonder that this mock church performance offended believers, including those who heard about it in media, Mitrofanov says.

But the young women are believers, too, and they apologised to other believers who might feel offended by their act during the Moscow trial, even though Duka claimed that they had not apologised, he points out.

Duka also mentioned he was horrified that a cross built in respect for the victims of the Soviet secret police in Kiev was pulled down in revenge for the prison sentence imposed on Pussy Riot, Mitrofanov writes.

He says this cross was pulled down by Femen, a Ukrainian radical feminist group one of whose members said their struggle is directed against all religions in the world.

The imprisoned Pussy Riot members condemned the ruining of the cross and called on the public not to repeat such actions, Mitrofanov writes.

It is noteworthy that Duka's arguments are very similar to those presented by the Russian Orthodox Church leaders and President Putin, Mitrofanov says.