His Holiness Patriarch Alexy meets the Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner Alvaro Hil-Robles and his successor Thomas Hammarberg

On 28 February 2006, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia met with the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe Alvaro Hil-Robles in the patriarchal residence at St.Daniel’s Monastery.

Present the meeting were the newly elected Thomas Hammarberg who will start his work on April 1; DECR MP deputy chairman archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, a representative of the Moscow Patriarchate at the Council of Europe hegumen Filaret (Bulekov), staff member of the Commissioners’ office A.Hessel and Commissioner’s assistant D.Dalhusen.

His Holiness the Patriarch said in his welcoming speech ‘I am happy to greet you again, Mr. Commissioner and your successor at this responsible post Mr. Thomas Hammarberg here in Russia. The Council of Europe has developed many legal procedures aimed at the protection of human freedom. Many of them have proved to be effective. The Russian Orthodox Church has always been considerate to human rights and dignity of man created in the image and after the likeness of God.

Our Church actively tries to bring its contribution into the strengthening of spiritual foundations of cooperation among European nations through its believers living in different countries and also through direct dialogue with the European international organizations. On the basis of common understanding of the tasks facing the Council of Europe and the Russian Orthodox Church we welcome your wish to single out the role played by the Churches as defenders of human rights. At the same time we consider it important to pay more attention to the problems of social justice and protection of social, economic and cultural rights. It was gratifying to know that the Council of Europe has given priority to preservation of cultural diversity.

We welcomed your initiative to grant consultative status at the Council of Europe to religious associations and hope that our Church would have an opportunity to act as a partner of the Council of Europe.

We thank you for opening a discussion on the role played by major European monotheistic religions in the promotion of human rights. Interreligious dialogue can and should be a starting point for building the “Greater Europe’ which respects traditional spiritual values. In this regard I would like to note an important for our Church seminar ‘Dialogue, Tolerance and Education: Common Actions of the Council of Europe and Religious Organizations’ held in Kazan. I believe it pertinent to tie up dialogue of religions with religious education. The eradication of religious illiteracy and respect of traditional values will give ground to the lasting peace in the 21^st century.

We attach great importance to an initiative of the Council of Europe to consider the educational potential of traditional religions. Your idea to establish an European Institute of Religious Education is very important to us. We believe that introduction of the foundations of Orthodox culture in school curriculum is necessary in our state in which the Orthodox constitute an absolute majority of the population. All traditional religious minorities should also be given an opportunity to teach their religion in school.

We are grateful to the leadership of the Council of Europe for their openness and cooperation with the Representation of the Moscow Patriarchate in Strasbourg. As we have a positive experience of contacts of our representative hegumen Filaret with the General Secretary of the Council of Europe Terry Davis, with you and other leaders and staff members and the PACE, I consider the continuation of dialogue very useful.

We think it important to continue discussion of the problems of interethnic and interreligious relations and legislative standards pertaining to the interests of religious communities. We hope for continuation of the mutually helpful dialogue on these problems with Mr. Thomas Hammarberg’.

The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights thanked His Holiness the Patriarch for his support of dialogue between the Churches and the Council of Europe.

According to Mr. Hil-Robles, the principle of secularity of the state should not imply a compromise with religious illiteracy, as the lack of knowledge about religion gives ground for extremism. The Commissioner also said that it was impossible to be a citizen without the knowledge of historical culture and the culture of the neighbours. He also remarked that the teaching of different religions should not exclude the existing models of confessional education.

At the end of the meeting Mr. Hil-Robles expressed his hope for continuation of dialogue between the Council of Europe Commissioner and traditional religious organizations even after his term is expired. The newly elected CU Commissioner for Human Rights T.Hammarberg declared his devotion to the dialogue.