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Flying Church Helps Russia's Paratrooper Priests Lift Soldiers' Spirits (VIDEO)

HuffPost Weird News   Posted: 03/14/2012 6:34 pm

The Russian military is taking the phrase "getting by on a wing and a prayer" to new heights after creating a flying church, complete with paratrooper priests.

The unique high-tech air-dropped church consists of a usual army tent and a life-sustaining module including a diesel power source, air conditioner and fridge, and is put on the ground with an airborne platform used to carry armored vehicles and other heavy military equipment, according to the Russian news site RT.com.

Officials say the airborne chapel is needed because the Russian Orthodox Church requires special sacraments that demand a substantial number of utensils such as bells and crucifixes.

But in order for the plan to take flight, Russian military leaders are drafting some chaplains who are experienced paratroopers, according to the Sun.

A parachuting church seems unusual, but it's part of a long line of weird items that have been dropped since the first parachute was created around 1470, Shelterpop reported.

For instance, Hummers were parachuted onto the battlefield during the Iraq War operations and the British have been parachuting dogs since World War II.

No word on when the flying church will launch, but Russian officials reportedly expect them to be ready soon.

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The Russian military is taking the phrase "getting by on a wing and a prayer" to new heights after creating a flying church, complete with paratrooper priests. The unique high-tech air-dropped chur...
The Russian military is taking the phrase "getting by on a wing and a prayer" to new heights after creating a flying church, complete with paratrooper priests. The unique high-tech air-dropped chur...
 
 
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
patman77
01:42 AM on 03/17/2012
skyyyyy pilot.
02:49 PM on 03/16/2012
Iconic.
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TheBlueCoyote
Random Opinion Generator
03:37 AM on 03/16/2012
So much for "godless communists"
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
jlplummer1
11:10 PM on 03/15/2012
Oh, I get it. after watching about the Russian Hockey teams being flown in Russian aircraft that keep crashing killing team after team. They figure with a church in the sky, they get their last rites in the event the plane crashes Yes, now I understand. Under Socialism, manager to technician. Fix air plane, Technician to manager, which airplane? Manager. any airplane. Technician, okay. fixes plane that's been scrapped.. Plane used.. the one he didn't fix.
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
jlplummer1
11:04 PM on 03/15/2012
So the way i read this is while parachutting out of the airplane, Russian priests will say mass while they come down.????
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belldn3
Fascinated by red polish on women
10:06 PM on 03/15/2012
Don't know if this is a good idea. What if anti-airguns are going. Good luck making it down.
09:22 PM on 03/15/2012
Actually, it's not at all true that all of this is needed. An Orthodox priest could put everything he needed for a Divine Liturgy (the Orthodox term for the Eucharistic service) in a large suitcase.
07:35 PM on 03/15/2012
I can't wait until Santorum hears about this. He can blast Obama for allowing the Russians to beat the US in the development of Flying Churches, and pledge that when HE is President, he'll narrow the ever widening, strategic Flying Church gap.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
pluggy64
03:48 PM on 03/15/2012
I wonder if Sally Fields (The Flying Nun) attended?
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Parade Keegan
I Can Hear You
02:50 PM on 03/15/2012
Next thing you know China will have "hovercraftTemples". Yikes
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Thom Nickels
01:28 PM on 03/15/2012
At least with the Orthodox Church, these mini churches
look like churches. If they were Protestant or
Catholic they would resemble empty meeting halls.
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TheBlueCoyote
Random Opinion Generator
03:39 AM on 03/16/2012
When's the last time you were at a catholic cathedral?
02:59 AM on 03/15/2012
Hmmm...Russians.....always make me wonder...r they really human???
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Veprk
04:56 AM on 03/15/2012
We would prefer the term artificial person, and by no means able to harm or let be harmed a human. My name is Bishop...would you like some cornbread?
01:55 AM on 03/15/2012
This would be great for our extremist Evangelical Republicans the can fly it in on a stump speech collect donations from a non profit and it would all be leagal.Absolutly perfect
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emperorofohio
to thine own self be true
01:37 AM on 03/15/2012
Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition. Just to let you all know, this concept violates my religious beliefs and therefore I refuse to allow any of my tax dollars to go paying for one.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
eragan
Keep the "Change"
12:53 AM on 03/15/2012
Oh boy, queue the atheists. I'm sure they will view it as evil with a hidden agenda. Not about just trying to lift the spirits of those that choose to believe. Noone is forced to take part. Keep Jessica Ahlquist away from this, she'll have it destroyed.
02:46 AM on 03/15/2012
No, this is just stupid. Would your spirits be lifted if I gave you a 4 leaf clover; and told you just to march into the hail of bullets, everything will be just fine?

If prayer worked, there would be no Doctors.
04:55 AM on 03/15/2012
I guess, in mother Russia, church comes to you?
06:55 PM on 03/15/2012
You're stupid.
04:46 AM on 03/15/2012
No, we don't view it as a hidden agenda. We just view it as really, really, stupid.