Petrelis Files

Inter-Fax Russian News: 'Sex Minorities' Protest SF Church

(Russian Orthodox priests sure like dressing up with funny hats, embroidered flowing robes and gold chains. Credit: Moscow Patriarchate.)

Nice to see two handfuls of gay protesters in San Francisco in the Castro are getting some media attention in Russia. From the Inter-Fax news wire:

Moscow, August 28 – Protest action of sex minorities was held before St. Nicholas Patriarchal Orthodox Cathedral in San Francisco at the background of the prayer of clergy and laity of the Russian Church Abroad and the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA, the ROCOR website reports.

Activists of the action who were unhappy about legislation passed in Russia banning the propagandizing of homosexuality to children the day before on the Internet called for supporters of the LGBT community to gather at the Patriarchal cathedral during the Sunday Liturgy with anti-Orthodox and anti-Russian placards.

On Sunday morning, "for edification of the worshippers" a reliquary with portions of the relics of St. John of Shanghai were brought to St. Nicholas cathedral and after partaking special prayers were intoned from the rite of the Triumph of Orthodoxy.

Neither the cathedral nor any parishioners suffered any violence from the protesters.