Make msnNOW my homepage
Patriarch Kirill I with an expensive watch, left, and the same image with the watch Photoshopped out (© Press Service of the Patriarch via The New York Times, http://aka.ms/KirillI)

Church airbrushes out leader's $30K watch from photo

4/6/2012

The Russian Orthodox Church has caught flak for showing off its wealth, so it apparently decided to preemptively avoid some negative PR by editing out a whopping $30,000+ Breguet watch that appeared on the wrist of leader Kirill I in a photo it posted on its website. Bad move. Sharp-eyed Russian bloggers noticed the timepiece's reflection in the pic, forcing the church to apologize and leading to coverage in the NYTimes. Kirill though has told journalists he has never worn the watch and images of him with it on were in fact the ones that were doctored.

Read more:
Russian bill would impose fines for gay “propaganda” Whole Russian Orthodox family embraces Islam Landmarks of Faith: Russian Orthodox Alaska
most recent

Is a $30K watch appropriate for a church leader?

Most Commented
Most Shared
AdChoices
Popular this week
  • Shared
  • Commented
  • Viewed
AdChoices