Eastern Orthodoxy and Superstition

Eastern Orthodoxy maintains its mysticism in Eastern Europe. Unfortunately for some followers, mental illness is mistaken for possession by evil forces.

In Romania, a priest has been jailed for performing an "exorcism" that resulted in one young nun's death. Apparently, the woman was mentally ill, and had been chained to a cross, gagged, and starved until she finally died. Since its introduction into Kievan Rus, Eastern Orthodoxy has held mystic sway over firm believers - especially disadvantaged village dwellers who may not have access to proper education and health care.

After the fall of Communism, the Eastern Orthodox Church has once gained an open throng of followers. Struggling societies, like those in Romania, have become more devout. However, it's the strange fanaticism that Eastern Orthodox believers sometimes adhere to that gives religious leaders the power to commit acts that could be dangerous - recall the False Dmitri of Boris Godunov's reign or Rasputin of the Romanov era.