This is one reason why Putin was one of the few leading heads of state to miss attending Pope John Paul’s funeral. Although the Orthodox Church did send a delegation, immediately after the funeral Patriarch Alexi warned that the disagreements between the two branches of Christianity go much deeper than the former Pope’s Polish nationality, which was always a particular sore spot for Russian Orthodox Slavs.
这也是普京没有参加教皇约翰﹒保罗葬礼的原因之一。只有为数寥寥的国家首脑没有参加此次葬礼。尽管在葬礼后，东正教立刻就派出了代表团，但大主教亚力克西警告说，基督教两大分支之间的分歧已远不止于前任教皇的波兰国籍问题。前任教皇的国籍问题一直是信奉东正教的俄罗斯斯拉夫人心头之痛。