(moscowtimes.ru) Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill invited the United Russia deputies to his office to voice his angst over EU-backed plans to introduce sex education in Russian schools.
He left the meeting with a promise from the pro-Kremlin party that he would be allowed to preview all legislation considered in the State Duma.
The extraordinary agreement grants the Russian Orthodox Church a privilege not shared by any other religious community in Russia and not even afforded to the Public Chamber, the civil society advisory body that is supposed to have the right to examine pending legislation and influence its outcome.
It raises questions about separation between church and state, which is enshrined in the Constitution, and promises to raise new concerns about the growing clout of the Russian Orthodox Church, which has seen a revival since Vladimir Putin rose to power in 2000. Putin, now prime minister after eight years as president, heads United Russia.
Patriarch Kirill invited two senior United Russia deputies to his office near the Christ the Savior Cathedral on Wednesday to express his worries about the Duma’s ratification of the European Social Charter on May 20.
The charter, which Russia was obliged to approve as part of its membership in the Council of Europe, guarantees people’s right to housing, health, education, employment and other issues.
It also requires public schools to offer sex education and member states to establish juvenile justice systems aimed at deterring minors from committing crimes — two matters that the patriarch told Deputies Andrei Isayev and Vyacheslav Volodin that he opposes strongly.
Picture credit: apologetika.com
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6 comments
Much as I dislike Kirill, I would probably take his side on the sex ed. But what exactly is his objection to juvenile justice systems?
It's interesting to hear talk about the MP influencing the government; usually we think of it the other way around. I suppose it's possible the old KGB agent really does believe in his Christian mission now, but I'm not holding my breath. Anyway, that doesn't take away from the fact he still hasn't repented of sergianism or ecumenism.
Posted on 10:38 AM
The tobacco Patriarch has never believed in a "Christian mission" except to bring Christians to communism. Even more than Alexey, Kirill of Smolensk was considered a serious ecumenist and further a tool of the Soviet state. All it took was a few "news articles" before the election trying to make it sound like Kirill was independent and we forgot the last twenty years.
I think he was given this right precisely because he was such a tool of the KGB anyway. In a sense, it's just giving Putin's FSB even more veto power. Medvedev was considerably less involved, so this is a way of preserving more of the old siloviki.
Posted on 10:43 AM
I take your first point, but I'm curious why Kirill would even care about public sex education if he weren't motivated in some way by a sense of mission. Then again, he was involved in all that un-Orthodox importation of cheap tobacco. He seems to be a self-contradictory figure.
I'm a little confused by your second point. Are you saying that this concern with public morality is a cover for something else? What exactly?
Posted on 2:34 PM
1) http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/22/world/europe/22believers.html
2) The old guard needs to maintain its power grip while they "train" the new and Kirill was axiomatically a member of that older group.
Posted on 2:38 PM
More: http://www.nrlc.org/news/2003/NRL03/russia.html
Posted on 2:40 PM
And finally,
http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-15311448_ITM
The population decline in Russia is almost irreversible at this point. Russia will go from the 6th to 17th most populous country in 50 years. Kirill is far from in need of being driven by morals on this issue.
Posted on 2:45 PM