Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin indignant at the recent article in The Times on the murder of the father superior of the Davidov Monastic Hermitage

Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, vice-chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations, expressed indignation at the recent article in The Times on the murder of the father superior of the Davidov Monastic Hermitage, stating he did not intend either to talk with its representatives or shake hands with any of those who work for it.

‘I was exasperated by the article published on July 28, 2005, on the murder of Archimandrite Herman as it, offering no proof and as much as using hearsay, not only discredits the murdered priest but also reproduces laughable accusations against our Church and even long refuted allegations that our Church received oil from Saddam Hussein’, Father Vsevolod said in a talk with journalists.

The priest expressed bewilderment at the fact that ‘the newspaper, which claims to be respectable, permits itself an unduly familiar and irresponsible tone, which speaks of a lack of inner culture and ethics’.

He also remarked that this newspaper ‘has never taken the liberty to speak in the same impudent tone about the American administration, its own government or religious organizations in Western countries’.

‘What, do they consider us second-rate people who can be bombarded with serious legal accusations on the basis of conjectures and superficial assessments?’ the executive of a Synodal Department asked.

Addressing the journalists of the newspaper, Archpriest Vsevolod emphasized, ‘Russia is neither a colony nor an abode for savage tribes where it is possible to drive on a safari throwing away chips wrappings in the belief it is the proper way to behave there’.