God is with Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of his re-election bid.
Russia's Orthodox Church has lent its backing to two of his main programmes, promoting private pensions to its congregations and endorsing an anti-graft drive by re-interpreting the 10 commandments to introduce, among others, "Thou shalt not bribe".
In return, priests and monks will get bigger pensions to bring them into line with others, Russian newspapers said on Wednesday. Officials were not immediately available for comment.
Kommersant newspaper said the head of the Church, Patriarch Alexiy II, had signed an agreement with the head of the state pension fund, Mikhail Zurabov, to help carry out the reforms.
Putin is virtually certain of re-election in March. But help from the Church, resurgent and popular after decades on a tight rein under Putin's former KGB colleagues, will not go amiss.
"At the moment people are very distrustful about the different ways of saving money," Kommersant quoted the Church's Archbishop Ioann as saying. "Priests need to explain to people the essence of the reforms so the elderly will not be afraid."
Putin's social reforms include trying to encourage private pension funds and linking state pensions to earnings. An ageing population will put pressure on state pensions but a financial crash in 1998 put many Russians off keeping savings in banks.
The president's fight against corruption is also being promoted by a Church congress now in session. Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper quoted a Church official as saying participants would be asked to approve new interpretations of the Bible's 10 commandments for the thriving business community.
"Thou shalt not kill" should be taken to mean "Create safe working conditions for your colleagues", while "Thou shalt not steal" might translate into "Thou shalt not keep back wages".
"Thou shalt not commit adultery" could be interpreted, the Church said, as "Thou shalt not enter into illegal relations with civil servants or give them bribes".