{"id":187727,"date":"2020-11-04T16:50:37","date_gmt":"2020-11-04T13:50:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mospat.ru\/?p=187727"},"modified":"2020-11-05T23:08:04","modified_gmt":"2020-11-05T20:08:04","slug":"%d1%81%d1%82%d0%b5%d0%bd%d0%be%d0%b3%d1%80%d0%b0%d0%bc%d0%bc%d0%b0-%d0%b2%d1%81%d1%82%d1%80%d0%b5%d1%87%d0%b8-%d0%bf%d1%80%d0%b5%d0%b7%d0%b8%d0%b4%d0%b5%d0%bd%d1%82%d0%b0-%d1%80%d0%be%d1%81%d1%81","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/old.mospat.ru\/en\/2020\/11\/04\/news187727\/","title":{"rendered":"Stenogram of the meeting of Russian President Vladimir Putin with His Holiness Patriarch Kirill and leaders of religious associations in Russia"},"content":{"rendered":"

On November 4, 2020, the National Unity Day, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin had a traditional talk with His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and leaders of religious associations in Russia. This year, the meeting was held in videoconference mode. <\/em><\/p>\n

Putin:<\/strong> Good afternoon, dear friends,<\/p>\n

I\u00a0am pleased to\u00a0welcome you to\u00a0our meeting; greetings to\u00a0all representatives of\u00a0traditional religions of\u00a0Russia!<\/p>\n

And\u00a0first of\u00a0all, I\u00a0would like to\u00a0congratulate you and\u00a0all the citizens of\u00a0Russia, our large, multinational country, on\u00a0the National Unity Day!<\/p>\n

This state holiday has been timed to\u00a0coincide with the\u00a0heroic events of\u00a0the\u00a0early 17th\u00a0century when the\u00a0Russian people put an\u00a0end to\u00a0the\u00a0tragedy of\u00a0the\u00a0Time of\u00a0Troubles.<\/p>\n

Among those who rose up against the\u00a0internal strife and\u00a0humiliation of\u00a0their country were people of various ethnic backgrounds and\u00a0confessions. \u00a0They were united in\u00a0the\u00a0struggle against foreign invaders, treachery and\u00a0betrayal and\u00a0they won; they restored the\u00a0integrity of\u00a0the\u00a0state and\u00a0its power and\u00a0saved the\u00a0Fatherland.<\/p>\n

We know that such a great civic feat was performed by\u00a0those who are devoted to\u00a0the\u00a0Fatherland, those who are convinced that their unity is a\u00a0powerful, irresistible force.<\/p>\n

In our history there have been many examples when all the people would stand up for\u00a0their country. It happened in\u00a01812 and\u00a0again in\u00a0the\u00a0unprecedented trials of\u00a0the\u00a0Great Patriotic War. The\u00a0courage of\u00a0the\u00a0defenders of\u00a0the\u00a0Motherland did not know national distinctions. They were inspired by\u00a0love for\u00a0their families, children, home, and\u00a0the\u00a0feeling of\u00a0brotherly camaraderie\u00a0\u2013 the\u00a0moral values that underlie the\u00a0culture and\u00a0tradition of\u00a0all our peoples, our traditional religions.<\/p>\n

Patriotism and\u00a0unity of\u00a0our citizens, common moral ideals continue to\u00a0unite our society, our vast, multinational, multi-confessional country.<\/p>\n

All of\u00a0our peoples used to endure together hardships and\u00a0joys, to achieve great victories, to pass the\u00a0harshest tests and\u00a0have historically proven their choice to\u00a0live together in peace and harmony.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0traditions of\u00a0kind, respectful relationships between people of\u00a0different ethnicities and\u00a0religious beliefs have been left to\u00a0us by\u00a0our ancestors. But it is not enough to be simply proud of\u00a0this living spiritual heritage and of the experience of creating\u00a0a\u00a0unique civilization. Of\u00a0course, we have the\u00a0right to\u00a0be proud and\u00a0we should be. But this is not enough. These values need to\u00a0be protected, strengthened and\u00a0nurtured. This is our common duty to\u00a0this generation and\u00a0to future generations as well.<\/p>\n

It is important to\u00a0understand that the\u00a0world is going through deep changes. Traditional values face serious challenges. Unfortunately, extremely difficult and\u00a0sensitive issues of\u00a0interethnic and\u00a0interreligious relations sometimes become a\u00a0subject of\u00a0speculations and\u00a0unscrupulous geopolitical games. Extremists and\u00a0radicals seek to parasitize on them inciting mutual hatred and\u00a0animosity.<\/p>\n

I\u00a0would like to\u00a0repeat that interethnic and\u00a0interreligious peace is the\u00a0keystone for\u00a0our vast country. It needs constant attention from the\u00a0authorities, from society, and\u00a0from the\u00a0media. The\u00a0work here should be delicate, meticulous and\u00a0comprehensive. And we are trying to\u00a0act precisely so\u00a0\u2013 in\u00a0the\u00a0most delicate and\u00a0constructive manner.<\/p>\n

The more so that the\u00a0situation in\u00a0a\u00a0number of\u00a0countries, as\u00a0we have seen, is complicated; we see what actions of\u00a0all kinds of provocateurs have led to; those who, under the\u00a0guise of\u00a0freedom of\u00a0speech, offend the\u00a0feelings of\u00a0believers, and\u00a0those who use it as\u00a0a\u00a0pretext for\u00a0justifying violence and\u00a0intolerance. There is only one result: conflicts grow within society like a\u00a0snowball and\u00a0can smolder for\u00a0years and\u00a0decades.<\/p>\n

Together we must do everything we can to\u00a0prevent developments like this in\u00a0our country.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0spiritual leaders of\u00a0Russia have a\u00a0special role to\u00a0harmonize interethnic and\u00a0interreligious relations and\u00a0prevent extremism and\u00a0terrorism. People listen to\u00a0your opinions, your words, and\u00a0when you voice your position of\u00a0solidarity, your clear commitment to\u00a0the\u00a0values of\u00a0peace, kindness and\u00a0mercy\u00a0\u2013 this is extremely important.<\/p>\n

I\u00a0would like to\u00a0point out the\u00a0great potential of\u00a0religious organizations in\u00a0social service. Representatives of\u00a0all religions are contributing to\u00a0our common struggle against the\u00a0spread of\u00a0the\u00a0dangerous virus.<\/p>\n

You unite caring people around you, and they together with the\u00a0clergy become involved in\u00a0voluntary work, sometimes risking their own lives in order to\u00a0support those who need help and\u00a0care, regardless of\u00a0their ethnicity or\u00a0religion.<\/p>\n

I\u00a0will underscore again that the\u00a0clergy work in\u00a0close proximity to\u00a0patients infected with the\u00a0coronavirus and\u00a0they sometimes risk their own lives to\u00a0support their neighbours. Unfortunately, tragedies can happen when they themselves die while selflessly carrying out their pastoral duty, selflessly and\u00a0not for\u00a0money.<\/p>\n

I\u00a0have stressed many times that the\u00a0most important thing for\u00a0us is the\u00a0absolute value of\u00a0every human life. And\u00a0this choice is dictated to\u00a0a\u00a0large extent by\u00a0those values that underlie all the\u00a0traditional religions of\u00a0Russia: Orthodox Christianity, other Christian confessions, Islam, Buddhism, and Judaism.<\/p>\n

It is not accidental that lying here on\u00a0the\u00a0table to\u00a0the\u00a0left of\u00a0me are four sacred texts\u00a0\u2013 the\u00a0Bible, the\u00a0Quran, the\u00a0Torah and\u00a0Kangyur with their intransient truths. And\u00a0the\u00a0key, the\u00a0defining value in\u00a0each is love for\u00a0other people, for\u00a0your neighbor, regardless of\u00a0race, ethnicity or\u00a0tradition. And\u00a0when the\u00a0scriptures speak of\u00a0neighbors or\u00a0brothers, we should understand this to\u00a0mean not only people of the same faith but also all people in\u00a0general, because all people are equal before the Most High in\u00a0all world religions.<\/p>\n

And\u00a0today I\u00a0would like to\u00a0refer to\u00a0a\u00a0few words from these books. Allow me to\u00a0quote a\u00a0few.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Bible. \u201cGreater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for\u00a0his friend.\u201d Or: \u201cWhosoever claims to\u00a0love God yet hates a\u00a0brother or\u00a0sister is a\u00a0liar. For\u00a0whoever does not love their brother or\u00a0sister whom he sees, how can he love God, whom he does not see?\u201d<\/p>\n

And\u00a0the\u00a0Quran. \u201cSay, Muhammad: I\u00a0ask of\u00a0you no reward for\u00a0proclaiming God\u2019s faith, only affection among the\u00a0near of\u00a0kin.\u201d \u201cWhosoever does a\u00a0good deed, we will increase its goodness by\u00a0two times.\u201d \u201cSurely Allah is with those who fear Good and\u00a0who do good deeds.\u201d<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Torah. \u201cYou shall not hate your brother in\u00a0your heart. You shall rebuke your neighbour, and\u00a0not bear sin because of\u00a0him. You shall neither take revenge from nor bear a\u00a0grudge; you shall love your neighbour as\u00a0yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

And\u00a0finally, Buddha\u2019s words. \u201cHatred does not cease by\u00a0hatred; hatred ceases by\u00a0love. This is the\u00a0eternal rule. Should a\u00a0person do good, let him do it again and\u00a0again. Let him find pleasure therein, for\u00a0blissful is the\u00a0accumulation of\u00a0good.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dear friends, once again, I\u00a0would like to\u00a0congratulate you on\u00a0the National Unity Day. It is highly symbolic that this holiday was constituted on\u00a0the\u00a0initiative of\u00a0the Interreligious Council in Russia. This is another evidence that Russia\u2019s historical path as\u00a0a\u00a0great power has been defined by\u00a0peaceful, fruitful cooperation between different peoples and\u00a0religions.<\/p>\n

I\u00a0would like to\u00a0wish you success on\u00a0the\u00a0path of\u00a0spiritual service.<\/p>\n

I would like to give the floor to Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. Please!<\/p>\n

Patriarch Kirill: <\/strong>Highly Esteemed Vladimir Vladimirovich,<\/p>\n

Dear participants in the meetings and leaders of centralized religious associations in Russia,<\/p>\n

I would like to congratulate all of you on the National Unity Day. For us, the Orthodox, it is also a feast of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, praying at which were Minin and Pozharsky before entering into a battle with an enemy standing at the walls of the Moscow Kremlin.<\/p>\n

This event in itself, lying as it is in the basis of our celebration today was not of a great military importance. And in a certain sense, it was not an event of a considerable political importance. What happened? And what happened is this: the home guards of Minin and Pozharsky repelled from the enemy a part of Moscow – the Kitay-Gorod. It is not even the whole Moscow; it is a district in Moscow.<\/p>\n

But why that victory seemingly not so significant in its scale is associated with such a heroic memory? And why that event was laid in the basis of the creation and assertion of so special a veneration of this day by our people as to become a feast of national unity? Well, precisely because this victory at the Moscow Kremlin walls was preceded by something very important.<\/p>\n

Indeed, what did the Russian society of that time consist of? There were divisions into parties, clans, carious warring groups. A troublesome time, so it was called – the time of trouble, because there was a disturbance in people\u2019s heads, which led to a clash with one another. And suddenly those who only yesterday believed to be enemies united in face of the foe, in Kitay-Gorod at the Kremlin walls. This is what we are celebrating.<\/p>\n

We celebrate not small and almost unnoticeable historical military victory achieved within one city area; we celebrate a great event – whose who were divided before became united.<\/p>\n

And how good it is that in our time, in establishing a holiday of national unity, those who made this decision have given another opportunity for underscoring once again that the true power of our people lies in unity.<\/p>\n

It seems to me that in forming this unity today, an important role is played by religious communities because religions themselves can draw lines of both opposition and even confrontation. Indeed, this used to happen in history. But by God\u2019s mercy our people, having endured many internal civic confrontations, have become clearly aware today of the necessity of unity. And religious leaders and their communities are actively involved the preservation and enhancement of this unity.<\/p>\n

I would like to wish you, highly esteemed Vladimir Vladimirovich, the leadership of the country and all our people to be always together. Of course, all kinds of things happen in relations between people – nobody has cancelled sympathy and antipathy. But in face of common tasks facing our people today, we should be together; not in trifles or some problems defined by taste, but in that which is important for all our people and for all our country.<\/p>\n

Therefore, on this day, we pray especially ardently for the unity of our people. And it is remarkable that we have an opportunity for meeting in order to talk with each other. And once again, by the very fact of our meeting I would like to emphasize our commitment to the unity of our people and to re-affirm our readiness for interreligious interaction and cooperation.<\/p>\n

Thank you for your attention.<\/p>\n

Vladimir Putin: <\/strong>Thank you, Your Holiness.<\/p>\n

The full text of the stenogram is published on the website of the President of Russia. <\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em>Kremlin.ru<\/a>\/\u041f\u0430\u0442\u0440\u0438\u0430\u0440\u0445\u0438\u044f.ru<\/strong><\/p>\n

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