Russian Orthodox Church delegation attends OSCE conference

On September 26-27, 2016, a delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church led by Archpriest Mikhail Gundyaev, Moscow Patriarchate representative to the World Council of Church and the international organizations in Geneva, attended the 20^th annual OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting. The delegation also included Deacon Feodor Shulga, secretariat for inter-Orthodox relations of the Moscow Patriarchate’s department for external church relations, and S. V. Melnik of the same secretariat.

The OSCE annual meetings consider the progress made by the OSCE member states in commitments they have made in the humanitarian sphere, in particular, in the efforts for non-discrimination, prevention of hate crimes and in the struggle against racism, xenophobia and intolerance. The sessions on September 26 and 27 dealt with problems involved in discrimination on religious ground and freedom of faith.

In his report to the meeting on the struggle against xenophobia, discrimination and intolerance on religious grounds, S. Melnik spoke about the work of the Interreligious Council in Russia, pointing particularly to the importance of efforts made by the Council to develop religious education and introduce theology into the lists of academic disciplines issued by the Supreme Attestation Commission under Russia’s Ministry of Education and Science.

On September 27, speaking at the meeting on freedom of thought, conscience and faith, Deacon Feodor Shulga cited numerous facts of discrimination against the faithful of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the territory of Ukraine, drawing the attention of the OSCE member states to the discriminatory bills targeted at the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

The full texts of the reports will be publish on the OSCE site.

On September 26, the Russian delegation was received by the Russian Ambassador in Poland, S. Andreyev. They also visited the Cathedral of St. Mary Magdalene in Warsaw and met with the Primate of the Polish Orthodox Church His Holiness Metropolitan Sava of Warsaw and All Poland.

DECR Communication Service

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Russian Orthodox Church delegation attends OSCE conference

Patriarch

Department Chairman

Sermons

Patriarch

Department Chairman

Sermons