Meeting of Interreligious Council of Russia takes places in Moscow

4/4/14

On 3 April 2014, a regular session of the Interreligious Council of Russia, chaired by archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, head of the Department for Church and Society Relations, took place at the Danilovskaya Hotel in Moscow. Taking part in the meeting were representatives of Russia’s traditional religions, as well as Mr. Anton Ignatenko, representative of the Moscow Government, and Mr. Ivan Korostelev, representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Invited to the session was a delegation of the French human rights advocates who uphold traditional family values. The French delegation included Bishop Marc Aillet of Bayonne and Oloron; Mr. Gregor Puppink, director of the European Center for Law and Justice; Mr. Thierry de la Villejégu, executive director of the Jérôme Lejeune Foundation; Mr. Aymeric Pourbaix, director of the editorial board of the Catholic weekly “Famille Chretienne”; Mr. Guillaume Alanson, commissioner for family affairs of the diocese of Bayonne; and Ms Caroline Roux, secretary general of the Alliance “Vita.”

The French human rights advocates told those present about the protection of traditional family values and support of physically challenged people in France. The representatives of Russia’s traditional religions shared with the guests their experience in upholding traditional values. The members of the Interreligious Council of Russia confirmed their intention to do everything in their power to protect society from the “contagion” of same-sex marriages and gender confusion.

The participants in the meeting discussed the situation in Ukraine and adopted a statement. Also discussed were a number of proposals aimed at organizing some actions and a common prayer in support of peace in Ukraine and the Middle East.

The participants in the session dwelt upon the functioning of prayer rooms in Sochi during the 2014 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, expressed satisfaction with the results of common work of the Interreligious Council of Russia’s Secretariat and the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee, and thanked spiritual counsellors and volunteers who worked in prayer rooms, and also the Olympic and Paralympic Committees.

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