Russian Orthodox Church is reregistered in accordance with a new law

RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH IS REREGISTERED IN ACCORDANCE WITH A NEW LAW

On 26 November 1998, in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and all Russia received a certificate of registration of the Russian Orthodox Church in accordance with the adopted Federal law ‘On Freedom of Conscience and on Religious Associations’. Minister of Justice of Russia Mr.Pavel Krasheninnikov read out the enactment for the registration of the Russian Orthodox Church and its entering into the state register of religious organizations of the Russian Federation under number 1. This number was given to the Russian Orthodox Church when it was registered for the first time and was retained after a new law was adopted. His Holiness the Patriarch noted that such a numeration was the only privilege of the Russian Orthodox Church. In all other aspects the law is equal for all religious associations operating in Russia.

While handing the certificate to the Primate of the Church, the Minister of Justice spoke about the special contribution made by the Russian Orthodox Church into the gathering of the Russian lands, the formation and development of spirituality and culture of our country, consolidation of peace and accord in society and harmonization of interreligious and interethnical relations.

The Patriarch and the Minister exchanged opinions on the process of implementation of the law which has been operative since 1 October 1997. They agreed that the application of the law has caused neither violation of civil rights and freedoms of the citizens of the RF, nor discrimination of religious minorities.

The law came into being problematically, there were many arguments and discussions, but it really puts the activities of religious organizations in order, – underlined His Holiness the Patriarch. For instance, the status of juridical person received on the basis of a civil certificate on registration gives the Church, as he thinks, an opportunity not only to celebrate divine services which used to be the only thing allowed to it under the discriminative law of 1929, but to be engaged in charity and social ministry in hospitals, homes for the aged, penitentiary institutions, and also in education. In the years which had passed this experience has been largely lost, and now we have to establish everything anew and to train personnel for such ministry’, – noted the Primate of the Church.

Having expressed gratitude for the high appreciation of the role of the Russian Orthodox Church in the history of the Russian state, the Primate said: ‘The Church has always been with its people both in joys and trials and will be for ever’. Answering the question about the attitude of the Church to extremism, the Patriarch reminded people of the peacemaking activities of the Church: ‘When conflicts happen, the Church always tries to raise its voice and calls for peace and accord. It is on this condition only that Russia and its people will live a worthy life in future’.

Having underlined that the Church does not accept extremism in either form, be it national or religious, the Patriarch deplored the fact that even tragic accidents are used to instigate confrontation in society. This is beyond any criticism from the moral and ethical point of view’, – he said.

Also discussed at the meeting in the Ministry of Justice was cooperation between the Russian Orthodox Church and the bodies of justice in the matter of rehabilitation and spiritual and moral education of people who serve their sentences for their criminal actions. As the penitentiary institutions are now transferred to the Ministry of Justice of the RF, an agreement was reached about interaction of the bodies of justice and the Moscow Patriarchate.