The Russian media reported on the first meeting of the Inter-Party Parliamentary Group on the Protection Of Christian Values that took place on May 17 at the State Duma. The meeting was attended by representatives of different political factions, including the ruling United Russia party and the Communist party. Representative of the Russian Orthodox Church also attended the meeting.[1] The coordinator of the inter-party group, United Russia MP Dmitry Sablin said that the expert group will meet to assess legislation and draft legislation "for the support and protection of Christian values."[2] Sablin also said that meetings on the protection of Christian values will be organized on a regular basis.[3]
The video of the meeting was taped by the BBC's Russian-language service, and republished as well by major Russian media outlets.
Following is a transcript of the video:[4]
Monastery's Choir: 'The Evil Enemies Dreamed Of Possessing Rus'
Danilov Stavropegic Monastery's choir. (Source: Bbc.com/Russian, May 17, 2017)
The video opens up with the choir of the Danilov Stavropegic Monastery in Moscow, singing: "The evil enemies dreamed of possessing Rus// Making it pay cruel ransom, abusing it mortally, and poisoning it with laziness."[5]
Communist MP Dorokhin: 'The Next Variant After Trump Was Macron's Victory'
Duma deputy Pavel Dorokhin (Communist Party of the Russian Federation). (Source: Bbc.com/Russian, May 17, 2017)
After the choir had concluded, the Communist MP Pavel Dorokhin made a statement about French President Emmanuel Macron. Dorokhin said: "The next variant after Trump was Macron's victory. When we read the Holy Bible, we see that Macron very much resembles the Antichrist, the false prophet – as was predicted in the texts."[6]
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Archimandrite Theophylact On Children Beating And Abortion
Archimandrite Theophylact (Source: Bbc.com/Russian, May 17, 2017)
The Governor of New Jerusalem monastery in the Moscow region Archimandrite Theophylact talked about the beating of children. The Orthodox priest said: "For example, [currently] it is strictly forbidden for parents to punish their kids. Here we are in a contradiction with the Holy Bible, which says: 'For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.' So any punishment, even a slap, is not a good deed, a norm, but it should be the last resort, sometimes a necessary one, a punishment, which should exist in the family space."[7]
At the same meeting, Archimandrite Theophylact also equated abortion to murder. Expressing the views of the Orthodox Church, the priest said: "Abortion must be recognized as murder, because a living being is deprived of life."[8]
Archpriest Zvonarev On Gay Marriages
Archpriest Sergey Zvonarev (Source: Bbc.com/Russian, May 17, 2017)
Archpriest Sergey Zvonarev, secretary for the far abroad countries of the Moscow Patriarchate's Department for External Church Relations, talked about gay marriages. The priest said: "I'm forced to recognize the unpleasant statistics: there are a growing number of countries, where single sex concubinage is legalized. There are 23 countries like that. Thanks God, there is nothing like that in Russia, but I don't think we should rest on our laurels, since this threat is obvious and it is knocking at our doors."
First Deputy Chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate, Bishop Voskresensky Savva, concluded: "We see, take the West as an example, that Christian values are being exterminated, that wearing a cross is becoming indecent [behavior]."
