The Russian government proposes to return St. Isaac’s Cathedral, St. Petersburg, to Orthodox ownership; it’s been a museum since 1928. This is apparently part of Vladimir Putin’s campaign to strengthen Russian conservatives for nationalist purposes. But many local residents don’t want the church to return to the hierarchy; they prefer it secular and the bishops on a leash. (Olga Matlzeva/Agence France-Presse)
Daily Office Asia-Pacific 
