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Vsevolod Chaplin: Russia and the Islamic world must work together to meet the challenges – Company – News

Exclusive interview Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, which he gave the news agency IslamNews prior to his appointment as head of the ROC on the interaction of the Church and society.

– Father Vsevolod, first of all, let me congratulate you and your face of all Orthodox citizens of Russia with the beginning of Lent. What does respect for the post, and what changes in the life of an Orthodox man come from his offensive?

– Lent, like any other office in the Orthodox Church, implies repentance . At this time you need to come more often to the temple, to pray more at home, repent of their sins, participate in church sacraments. Of course, there are certain restrictions on food and entertainment. At the time of the believers are trying to watch less TV, especially the entertainment show, not go to entertainment establishments. Of the diet excludes meat, milk and other foods of animal origin. According to a strict statute does not put the fish there, though in many places, with the blessing of hierarchy fish is used, usually in the Saturday and Sunday – for example, in religious academies. However, more and more Orthodox people observe strict fast, during which, except for two days, do not eat fish or lean – vegetable – oil use is not always the case.

– What do you think about distributed today the values of the so-called “consumer society”? Is there a danger, if so, what is it?

– The danger, of course, there is. This was today told representatives of various faiths: Muslims and Jews, and Christians of different exercise. Even the Genevan reformers, who, according to Max Weber, the beginning of modern capitalism, sharply condemned the modern world market system.

Indeed, the very large number of modern people are literally captive consumer culture. This prisoner is proposed in a beautiful wrapping, but ultimately, it deprives a person of liberty. We impose such a lifestyle in which every year or two you should necessarily buy a new phone, new car, enjoy a new food – and so ad infinitum. When the position of the individual in society is determined by the amount of money and volume of consumption – it is really enslave culture. Who is it vzrastaet, lives and dies, loses a lot, they find themselves captive of the artificially created values.

We as Christians are well aware that the possession of money does not make a man happy. Moreover, by money and things do not need as such, they are used to position in society: I have better neighbors, richer and better than my school friends. This game is actually stimulates human pride, which over time becomes the meaning of life – a person starts to live for money and things.

-In what areas of religion and public life of Russia Orthodox, and Muslims must work together?

– You’ve just named one of these areas – that opposition to the cult of consumption. I think that at the time of economic crisis, we have a very serious chance to tell the people around us about the hope that life will change for the better. And yours, and our rejection of tradition usury. Perhaps the less orthodox Christians strong in the rejection of usury. Recently, however, more and more people are interested in relation to levy bank interest Orthodox tradition, which condemns usury as morally unsafe phenomenon. Of course, surrounding our banking system pervasive, and refuse any cooperation with it in today’s society is quite difficult. But the example of Islamic banking has shown that some islands the world around us are free from usury. And I think that many Orthodox people, these oases are encouraged.

Together we can fight this dangerous disease to Russia, as ethnic rivalries that encourage those who do not like someone’s face shape, eyes, skin color, and more e. The problem today is one of the most dangerous for our country. Russia is difficult to win on the battlefield, outwit, prognut using military, political and diplomatic pressure. But, as we know from history, it can be divided and thereby put to their knees. To prevent this from happening, it is important that we strongly oppose attempts to foment interethnic fires in the country. People who incite such a fire must be very strongly resisted. The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church during the lifetime of the late His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II spoke very harshly about the two pseudo-religious newspapers – “The Spirit of Christ” and “Easter Third Rome,” which involved the incitement of ethnic and social strife. Unfortunately, in every religious tradition there is a radical force, but you need to try to stop, that Russia should maintain interethnic peace.

Another area where we can make efforts – peacekeeping, the resolution of interethnic conflicts that take place in several countries of the former USSR. We must together take care of common cultural heritage, traditional values of general approval, which we largely agree. In all these areas, we not only can but should work.

– What you invest in the concept of “patriotism”? What do you think it means to be a patriot Russia?

– This means to be faithful to its historical path, to keep its tradition, not to forget that Russia has that tell the world. She was not at the ninety-first, not in the seventeenth and not in the fifth year. It has a rich culture, its own vision of global processes, including the economy, politics, relations between peoples. We must look to the future and to be themselves, without complexes or to the East or the West.

– How do you feel about the idea of supporting government initiatives, the traditional faiths of Russia in the sphere of science, culture, education?

– The state and religious communities are many areas for joint action. Religious organizations are already doing quite a lot in the field of culture. Let’s remember how many temples, mosques, synagogues and datsanov has been restored over the past 15 years, most of the efforts of religious communities, as well as financial assistance to states has become available in more or less significant amounts only 5 years ago.

– Do not you think that government support for religious leaders, carried out in one form or another, is a departure from the state enshrined in the constitution secular began?

– Any public work is entitled to state support, if it brings benefit to society, the goals are shared by people. I know a very good example – this fund support Islamic culture, science and education. This NGO is actively cooperating with the state and, I think, brings a great benefit and the Muslim community, and society as a whole. For the preparation of educated personnel, publication of literature, knowledge is not only Muslims but also the widest range of public opinion with the values of Islam, its culture, benefits not only the Muslim community, but throughout our nation. Activities of this organization is worthy of state support.

Right, I am a bit surprised when they say that support for religious organizations violates the constitutional principle of separation of religion from the state. In my opinion, this principle means only that these organizations are not part of the state power system, as is the case, for example, in some countries of northern Europe and Great Britain. In most European standards department of religious communities from the state does not mean depriving them of government support. Even in the United States, where a very tight share a religion and the state where there is no direct support of religious communities, socially useful activities of religious organizations is still supported by the state.

– As a Russian Orthodox Church, relations with Orthodox communities in Muslim countries?

– The Orthodox population of Muslim countries is quite diverse. It consists of people of different nationalities: Arabs, Greeks, people from the Balkan camp. Many representatives of these communities belong to different churches, not necessarily to the community of Russian Orthodox Church. We supported them with fraternal relations, such as Antiochia in the Orthodox Church, the main congregation to live in Syria and Lebanon. In Muslim countries such as Egypt, Tunisia, etc., for a long time there are communities of Russian Orthodox Church who are living fulfilling lives. In some countries, open new communities, for example, ozhila and expanded our community in Iran, new parishes in the Gulf countries, particularly in the UAE and Kuwait. Of course, any minority often have some restrictions, living among another culture, another language that imposes impact on the psychology of people. However, almost always in traditional Muslim countries Christian communities are in great esteem. That is what we feel from our contacts with them in these countries.

– What is your assessment of the situation in Palestine? As you look at the interaction between the Orthodox and Muslims in order to achieve peace in the Holy Land?

– I think, first of all you need to do everything possible to ensure that all people living on this earth, have the opportunity to determine their own destiny. They should be able to freely enjoy the basic benefits of civilization, such as work and education, have access to food, water, other basic vital resources. In Palestine there are sacred to believers of many religions place. It is essential that people have had free access to their holy sites.

Today, it is important that not only people living in the Holy Land, but also the entire international community, especially member countries Middle East settlement, equally, not in words but in fact respect the rights of religious communities, which are present in Palestine. Perhaps a more active and determined to be an international presence, including deals with Russia, which is one of the traditional Middle East. In the late 19 th and 20th century, the Russian presence in Palestine was a very powerful and brought tangible benefits to the Palestinian population. Today, Russia back its presence in the region: new Russian centers, religious buildings are returned. I want to believe that this presence will contribute to the cause of Middle East settlement is not only a cultural but also on the diplomatic and political level. I think that our country has great potential to all people living in the Holy Land, found a historic way, which they saw for themselves the most appropriate.

– How do you feel about the idea of rapprochement of Russia with the Islamic world, what do you see benefiting from this convergence?

– The benefit is obvious. In the Islamic world and Russia have much in common: we are inherent to their culture, their strong spiritual and philosophical traditions. We have largely the same people. And you, and we need to find their own, a solid, stable, independent role in world political and economic processes. All this dictates the need for active collaboration and mutual assistance in the search for answers to common challenges, the main of which, in my opinion, is the attempt by the ideological and political dictates of the West.

Interviewed by Rinat Nezametdinov

R.S. Father Vsevolod Chaplin is a commentator obschetserkovnoy position on current issues of society and international events.