People don’t seem to be aware of the nature of the Orthodox churches.
The Roman Catholic Church was mostly independent of the State. Yes, in many nations the Catholic was the state church. Just like after the reformation there were states where a Lutheran or Presbyterian church was the state church.
But in none of these was the church answerable to the state.
That was never the case in the east. The orthodox churches were always subordinate to the state. To the Eastern Empire, and then to the Tsars.
Note that the grounds of the monestary are actually owned by the state. This would never be the case in the West.
The relationship between Church and State is very different than what we are used to in the West.
Well, I guess that makes it all OK.