DECR Communication Service refutes conjectures that the Church interferes into matters covered by the Government’s terms of reference

DECR COMMUNICATION SERVICE REFUTES CONJECTURES THAT THE CHURCH INTERFERES INTO MATTERS COVERED BY THE GOVERNMENT’S TERMS OF REFERENCE

On July 15, Izvestia newspaper published in a brief form the refutation by the DECR Communication Service concerning the article “The Church in the Woods” by D. Koptev.

Given below is the full text of the letter sent by the Communication Service to the Izvestia editors on June 27.

“M. M. Kozhokin
Izvestia Editor-in-Chief

Dear Mikhail Mikhailovich,

It is argued in the article “The Church in the Forests” by D. Koptev (Izvestia issue of June 22, 2000) that His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia has allegedly supported some ecological organizations in Russia who have come out in protest against the abolishment of the Federal Forestry Service (Rosleskhoz). From this premise the author makes a conclusion about the Church’s interference in the affairs of the state government, expressed in this case in “criticism against the leadership of the country concerning the structure of the government”.

However, as is often the case, a false premise has led to wrong conclusions. To substantiate his version, the author of the article refers to the response made by His Holiness the Patriarch on April 20 to the president of the Russian Foresters Society A. I. Pisarenko who asked His Holiness to intercede with President V. V. Putin for retaining the above-mentioned service. Unfortunately, the author of the article avoids citing the substantial part of His Holiness’s letter. Let me cite it to inform the Izvestia readers who have the right for full and reliable information: “Together with you I see as very important those tasks to preserve, protect and reproduce forests which the service, established as far back as under Emperor Paul I, has sought to fulfill for over two centuries. However, I do not believe it possible for me to address the President of the Russian Federation with a written petition to restore the independence of the Federal Forestry Service in Russia, for I hope to find other forms of giving support to your request”.

The letter of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy has an appropriate outgoing number and other registration requisites of the Patriarchal office, which refutes the opinion of the author of the article about some all-powerful and active “lobbyists” who have allegedly acted to bypass the established order. Other rumors, versions and assumptions, which the article abounds in, have a similar value and proving power.

And the final thing to which I would like to draw the readers’ attention with regard to this article. The Russian Orthodox Church has repeatedly expressed and re-affirmed its fundamental principle of non-interference in the affairs of state government and administration and non-participation in political struggle. Not once has it proved its commitment to this choice and does not intend to abandon it. I have to inform the author of the article about it, since regretfully he has omitted to mention this well-known fact.

At the same time, nobody can deprive the Church of the right to speak out on questions which, according to the journalist, have no “bearing on the Orthodox life in particular and religious life in general”. All that happens in the country and the world, including political and economic spheres, affects directly the life of millions of the Orthodox believers and cannot be withdrawn, therefore, from the sphere of the Church’s attention. The Church cannot be confined to the church walls. That is why His Holiness the Patriarch has continuously spoken out on socially significant issues, thus responding to people’s concerns and fulfilling the prophetic mission of the Church. These utterances, however, have never been interferences in the government’s terms of reference, a testimony to which is the text of the Patriarchal letter.

With respect and sincere best wishes,

V. N. Malukhin
Communication Service director
Department for External Church Relations
Moscow Patriarchate”