Address by Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia at the opening of WRPC V

ADDRESS
by Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia,
Head of the World Russian People’s Council
at the opening of WRPC V

December 6 – 7, 1999
St. Daniel’s monastery, Moscow

Honourable leaders and representatives of the highest state authorities, leaders of parliamentary factions and electoral associations, members of the Presidium of the World Russian People’s Council, heads and representatives of traditional non-Christian religious communities; reverend archpastors, dear fathers, brothers and sisters:

As we have gathered here at St. Daniel’s monastery, we feel with a special clarity the approaching great Jubilee of the Nativity of Christ which will take us into a third millennium. The theme of the Fifth World Russian People’s Council “Russia on the Eve of the 2000th Anniversary of Christianity. Faith. People. Power” reminds us that the Jubilee, which is only a few weeks away, is not merely a historical landmark, but also an occasion for an in-depth reflection upon the developments in our country and in the world. The Lord has given us to witness the turn of a century so that we could evaluate our own successes, achievements, failures and vices and think how to act in the future so that sin may be defeated and virtue may be multiplied.

It is not accidental that our meeting should take place in the pre-Jubilee days. The World Russian People’s Council has already established a good tradition of holding talks between ecclesiastical and secular people, clergy and politicians, theologians and those who work in science, culture and education.

We gather whenever we experience an acute feeling of our common responsibility for the destiny of our Fatherland. Today, too, when an election campaign is being waged, we have invited state leaders and leaders of parliamentary factions and electoral associations to this holy monastery. As you know, the Church does not give political support to anybody, nor does she participate in the election campaign. She is ready to join efforts with any public forces for the benefit of the people. Nobody, however, can deprive the Church of the right to assess the developments in state and society from the spiritual and moral perspective. We regret to see most of the participants in the political struggle passing into extreme bitterness and using mean methods. I dare say it is nothing less than a sin disagreeable to God and condemned by the people. The elections should be held honestly, with full trust in the Russians’ will and without any attempts to manipulate them. But if the election campaign passes all moral bounds, the people will never trust the present politicians in full measure, even if they win.

The pre-election debates have aggravated the tension in relations between the people and the authorities, not only the central, but also local ones. The self-sufficiency of the governing structures, their lack of care for ordinary people, corruption and finally the concentration of power in the hand of the few – all these are problems the relevancy of which will not be exhausted after the next elections to the State Duma. At the same time, I am convinced that we can and must overcome these problems. In order to do it we should realize that the God-given age-old moral norms are not mere words. Their violation leads to a collapse of the personality, society and state. But their observance brings harmony and peace not only into the social realm, but also into the human heart. If we hearken to the voice of God, which speaks through our conscience, then, according to the Prophet Isaiah, “the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness quietness and trust for ever” (Is. 32:17).

Russia should also define her new place in the word – the world dynamic, contradictory, given to breaking many established ideas and balances of interests. We become witnesses to the emergence of ever more sophisticated arms, the rapid development of informational and other high technologies, the complication of international relations and the rise of regional conflicts. Our response to these processes cannot lie in either thoughtless trust in the power of progress, or assistance from rich countries, or an attempt at self-isolation, or neglect of new realities. We should remain what we are and cooperate actively with the world around us, bringing into it the inherent spiritual and moral richness of our people.

Dear participants in the Council, allow me to express the hope that our discussion, which takes place on the eve of the 2000th anniversary of the Nativity of Christ, will be imbued with real care for the Fatherland, will be held in the spirit of mutual understanding and peace, and will be beneficial for all who live in our country. May the Lord bless the efforts of the Fifth World Russian People’s Council, crowning it with perfect success.