MOSCOW — The Russian Orthodox Church continued what appeared to be an effort to get the authorities to address Russians’ grievances over the political system, with Patriarch Kirill I, the church’s leader, saying in a televised interview that it would be “a very bad sign” if the country’s leaders failed to heed recent protests over perceived electoral fraud.

The church, a powerful force in Russia, made a point of announcing that the patriarch would be speaking on Saturday, which is Christmas Day in Russia.

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