Putin's visit to the Vatican as part of his wooing of Italian government leaders opens up a topic for consideration: the role of the Russian Orthodox Church in modern Russia. What is the relationship between the ROC and the State? How does the Kremlin seek to utilize the ROC, if at all, to achieve its objectives?

One could argue that the ROC's position mimics that of the Russian government, and perhaps Russian large, in that despite remarkable growth and development since the fall of the Soviet Union (and particularly since the end of the Yeltsin era) the Patriarchy still feels threatened and unsure of itself. In part this insecurity reflects reality. The Patriarch yearns to be treated and respected as the leader of one of the world's great religions, but in actuality his domain is limited--with .