|
|
Article: Jesuits contend with Russian law on religion.(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- The Christian Century
- Article date:
- May 19, 1999
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1999 The Christian Century Foundation. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
A letter written in 1800 by Russia's Czar Paul I may become a vital piece of evidence in an appeal following the refusal of the Russian authorities to register the Society of Jesus, one of the Catholic Church's most prestigious orders of priests. Last month the Jesuits, as the priests and brothers of the Society of Jesus are known, became the first major Roman Catholic body to be denied the right to function as an independent organization with branches across Russia.
Under Russia's new religion law, all religious groups have been required to re-register with the Russian authorities. The controversial law, approved by President Boris Yeltsin on September 26, 1997, ...