Primate of the Russian Church meets with Chairman of the Tatarstan Muslims’ Board

DECR Communication Service, 19.05.2023. 

On May 19, His Holiness Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, met with the Chairman of the Tatarstan Muslims’ Board, Mufti Kamil Sanigullin.

Participating in the meeting fr om the Russian Orthodox Church were Metropolitan Dionisy of Voskresensk, chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate; Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Department for External Church Relations; Metropolitan Kirill of Kazan and Tatarstan, and Archimandrite Philaret (Bulekov), vice-chairman of the DECR. From the Tatarstan Muslims’ Board there was Mufti Ilfar Hasanov, vice-chairman of the Muslims’ Board.

Greeting the chairperson of the Tatarstan Muslims’ Board, His Holiness shared his thoughts about the relationships between Orthodoxy and Islam and the interreligious dialogue in Russia, the Patriarchal Press Service reports.

“It is very easy for me to speak at such places as this one because I feel to be among like-minded people. And these are not just fine words: in the first place, I mean our shared stand on the dangerous processes going on in the Western- European, Northern-
American civilization. We as believers, both Orthodox and Muslim, are very much concerned by the innovations that call in question the whole historic experience of the existence of the human race”, said in particular the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church.

“I believe Russia has a special role to play today”, His Holiness continued, “It is necessary also to recognize as a very important factor the stand of our state that agrees with the convictions of our traditional religions, Orthodoxy and Islam, on the issues of concern for us. Indeed, it used to happen so that for the sake of falsely understood diplomacy much was reconsidered in order to please others. However now, thanks to the independent policy of our state and certainly thanks to the personal participation of our President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, the right accents are made. All this convinces me that the stand of our state, too, has been certainly influenced by our shared spiritual tradition - the system of values supported by both the Orthodox Christians and Muslims”.

“Having visited Tatarstan, I have ascertained once again that good relations between Orthodox Christians and Muslims are formed both in regions wh ere Orthodox Christians constitute a majority and in the regions were the majority are Muslims. It is precisely the indication of sincerity and fidelity to principle of our relationships. Therefore, I hope that we as spiritual leaders of our communities will do all that is possible to develop these relations so that they could help consolidate our people in face of challenges thrown to us by the surrounding world”, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill stated.

“Thank you very much for the visit. We are very glad to see you in Tatarstan”, Mufti Kamil Sanigullin said on his part.