Almost one in eight Russians intend to observe Lent this year, and the proportion among Orthodox Christians reaches 17%, according to the findings of a VCIOM poll obtained by Interfax.
Asked whether they had heard about Lent, 51% of respondents said they had heard something, but did not know exactly on which dates it falls this year. Among those who are religious, such respondents accounted for 45%. Sixteen percent said Lent starts after pancake week, and 14%, or one in seven, said March 15. Nearly one-fifth of Orthodox Russians, or 19%, know the correct start date this year. Meanwhile, 22% are undecided as to whether to observe Lent. Among religious Russians, the proportion is 30%, the pollster said.
Consistory to reflect on Church’s mission to communicate God’s love
In a letter to the Cardinals ahead of a late-June Consistory, Pope Leo XIV calls for a deeper reflection on the themes of “Evangelii gaudium,”
