Death and ritual; church and state in Russia and Ukraine

This episode of Radio National Breakfast explores the multifaceted nature of death, ritual, and the role of religion in contemporary society, beginning with a poignant visit to a crematorium in Alice Springs. Meredith Lake interviews Anne Schmidt, Managing Director of Centre Funerals, who shares her personal and professional journey in death care, emphasizing the growing trend of families attending cremations and co-creating personalized rituals in a society increasingly lacking traditional rites. The conversation reveals a shift toward transparency and emotional engagement with death, challenging long-held taboos. The second half turns to geopolitics and theology, featuring Ukrainian Orthodox theologian Cyril Hovorin, who recounts his defrocking by the Moscow Patriarchate for criticizing the Russian Orthodox Church’s alignment with the war in Ukraine. Hovorin argues that Patriarch Kirill has weaponized religion to create a new ideological framework—replacing Soviet communism—that justifies Russia’s aggression, particularly in Africa, where the church serves as a soft power tool. He warns that this politicized theology has distorted Christianity, creating a dangerous fusion of faith and state power that undermines both religious integrity and peace. The episode draws powerful parallels between ancient burial practices—such as those of the Egyptians and Neanderthals—and modern death rituals, underscoring humanity’s enduring need for meaning in the face of mortality. Professor Robert Garland’s insights into ancient afterlife beliefs, including the Egyptian weighing of the heart, highlight how the idea of moral reckoning has shaped civilizations. Together, these narratives form a compelling meditation on how societies construct meaning through ritual, whether in grief or in war. The episode concludes with a call to re-examine the boundaries between church and state, and to reclaim authentic spiritual practice from ideological manipulation.