ABSTRACT
Church servers use liturgical books; Christian scholars use publications and journals; the Russian Orthodox community uses printed materials to bind it together and enlighten its thought. In addition to the holy texts, the church has had a grievous lack of the publications that support the clergy and laity. The church's financial troubles were exacerbated by the unevenness of income sources. In October 1989, Metropolitan Vladimir of Rostov gave figures for the budget and finances of the Patriarchate, the church's central offices. In February 1992, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church discussed the dire financial straits of the central church administration. The final category of church publications consists of the church's house organs, the periodicals that unite the Russian Orthodox community and communicate the concerns of the hierarchy. The Russian Orthodox Church faced an appalling lack of financial and organizational resources, insufficient transport, and all manner of obstacles to effectiveness.
