Russian Orthodox Church criticizes dissemination of opposition leaflets in Christ the Savior Cathedral

Moscow, May 2, Interfax – The Russian Orthodox Church considers the dissemination of leaflets on a church territory inappropriate and calls for respecting the sanctity of the place.

It was reported earlier that unidentified people had thrown out leaflets on the territory of Christ the Savior Cathedral, calling on parishioners to join a protest rally on May 6.

“Surely, the dissemination of any printed matter on a church territory is inappropriate without the church’s blessing,” Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, the head of the Synodal Department for Church and Society Relations, told Interfax-Religion on Wednesday.

“It is obvious that both this action and the actions that took place on Sunday [the opposition’s attempt to conduct a prayer for Vladimir Putin’s resignation] were free from blasphemy and attempts to propagate anti-Christian beliefs,” he said.

The priest views this as an indication that “even protest groups are capable of gradually coming to understand that desecration of holy things, blasphemy, propaganda of ideas going directly against true Christianity, such as radical feminism, justification of so-called sexual minorities, calls for reforming the Church on democratic principles and so on are inappropriate in a church and within a church territory.”

Political protest, which “will always be present in any society,” should be civilized and should be respectful to the sanctity of a church and a church territory, he said.

“I hope any political groups, both supporters of incumbent authorities and their opponents, will respect this sanctity,” Father Vsevolod said.

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