The continuous presence of the martyrs throughout history -and especially in the 20th century- is not any sort of mere lyricism, but is a historical fact which proves the quality and the real dimensions of the Church. After 70 years of persecution, the Russian Church is free and strong. That is a fact. From there on, it is not my intention -and I shall not do so- to criticize the personal lifestyle or the motives of any certain present-day Church leader. The human weaknesses of any individual, be it a Church leader or any other member of the Church, cannot and do not affect the holiness, the integrity, and the solidarity of the body of the Church.
Furthermore, the issue of this topic is not the relationship between the Orthodox Church and the government. That is a vast subject which started 2000 years ago, has been formally established by St Constantine in the fourth century, and has developed in the course of history according to the surrounding reality of each epoch -all down to our times. The issue of this topic is the unjust criticism of the Royal Family. Obviously, some people are criticizing the Royal Family because they are frustrated with the condition of present-day Church and government. However, regardless of the merits of those frustrations, they cannot justify attacks on the Royal Family. It was in that perspective that I have tried to show how and why Nicholas and Alexandra have become saints: not as the result of any cultural pursuits of the Church, but through their own great spiritual efforts.