The head of the Russian Orthodox Church has called for dialogue between Russia's main religions as a way of helping protect traditional values.
Speaking yesterday at the Christmas Parliamentary Readings in the State Duma, Patriarch Kirill said: "The leaders of world religions are looking to give a good and convincing answer [to global challenges], showing an example of mutually respectful dialogue and a joint search for mechanisms to protect traditional values. I would like to again thank my brothers, leaders and representatives of the traditional religions of Russia for such an example set to us by interreligious dialogue in Russia."
According to Interfax, Kirill said that while different religions continued to hold their own positions, "the common understanding of the threats to traditional values helps unite to jointly resist evil".
The Russian Orthodox Church has become highly influential under the regime of President Vladimir Putin and has recovered many churches and other properties that had been appropriated by the state. There has been a large increase in the number of priests and monks and a rise in church attendance.
However, minority religions including Protestant evangelicalism have complained of discrimination against them, with the so-called Yarovaya Law against proselytism resulting in several court cases.
In a coded reference to homosexuality and same-sex marriage, he described "the entry by openly anti-religious, radical politics of the sphere of personal and family morals" one of the main challenges to contemporary society."
He added that it "may lead to degradation of society and is capable of causing catastrophic consequences".
The patriarch said: "The principle of dependence of public life on the dictate of various minorities, which is popular in some countries, leads to the value disorientation of many people, the adoption of morally doubtful or asocial models of behaviour."
He also criticised the "cult of consumption", which he said resulted in "turning God's image and likeness into a soulless mechanism to fight for material things and services".
He said: "And the most horrible thing happens when this cult enters the sphere of living human feelings, such as, for example, love or friendship, and it brings to these high feelings a consumerist attitude based on the principle 'you give to me and I give to you', and if there is no such exchange then there is no love, no friendship."
