What is the religious situation of the 143 million citizens of today’s Russian Federation?

We can say that of 1,000 citizens of the contemporary Russian Federation, approximately:

80 are indifferent to all religion or else belong to minor religions or philosophies like Buddhism, Judaism, Protestantism and Catholicism.

70 are atheists.

60 are Muslims.

However, 790, 113 million, are Orthodox Christians (1). On average approximately each 5,000 of these is served by one church centre.

Of these 790 per 1,000 of the Russian Federation, approximately 700 hardly ever attend church, though some of them they may occasionally call in at a church at Easter or even Christmas and certainly observe some vestigial Chrsitian folk customs. They would certainly be baptised and certainly wish to be buried as Orthodox. However, most of them do not mar-ry in church and confession and communion are unknown to them.

Of these 790, approximately 50 are regular but not constant churchgoers.

Of these 790, approximately 39 are constant churchgoers.

Of these 790, approximately 1 is an exemplary Churchgoer, a pious person who witnesses to holiness.

With these last three groups, approximately 90 people per 1,000, lies the future of the 900 others. It was ever thus….

Note:

1. These 113 million form the majority of the 164 million of over 50 nationalities who make up the Russian Orthodox Church. Over another 30 million Russian Orthodox live in the Ukraine, over 6 million in Belarus, 4 million in Kazakhstan, 3.5 million in Moldova and an-other 7.5 million are scattered across countries in Central Asia, the Baltic Republics, Western Europe, North and South America, Australasia, Japan, Thailand and elsewhere throughout the world.