DECR chairman’s message to the seminar on Russia and Poland Today and Tomorrow: the View of the Younger Generation (4-5 July 2010, Moscow)

Dear Participants in the Seminar,

I greet you all, representatives of scientific and public circles in Russia and Poland as well as young specialists in various fields of humanitarian knowledge, as you have gathered together today in the Higher School of Economics.

Relations between Russia and Poland have a centuries-old history, which requires a profound reflection. This history has known times of peace and good-neighborly relations but also times of confrontation between our nations. However, whatever may happen in our relations, the kinship and a similarity in the mentality of Russians and Poles have remained an important factor of our life.

At a time when the world community is torn by various divisions, the Christian nations such as Russians and Poles should think about their future in the universal family. Today’s radical liberalism suppressing spiritual traditions seeks to implant the roots of such ‘values’ as egoism and rampant consumerism and religious and cultural relativism, which are alien to our civilizational field. That is why the time has come to reject old stereotypes and to assess anew the prospect of relations between the Russian and Polish peoples who are called to defend together their cultural and religious identity. In this difficult task I set my hopes on the youth of the two countries, who are responsible for the future of friendly relations between the Russians and Poles. It is my conviction that it is possible to establish them on the basis of common spiritual heritage – the great uniting source that helps to overcome the grievances and distrust of the past.

I hope that this seminar will bring nearer the time when Russia and Poland will enjoy close relations of brotherhood and mutual aid based on the solid foundation of eternal Christian values.

+ Hilarion

Chairman

Department for External Church Relations

Moscow Patriarchate

Print publication

DECR chairman’s message to the seminar on Russia and Poland Today and Tomorrow: the View of the Younger Generation (4-5 July 2010, Moscow)

Patriarch

Department Chairman

Sermons

Patriarch

Department Chairman

Sermons