“It looks very strange”
The idea of the Russian Orthodox Church to support the simplification of moving to Russia (and, apparently, obtaining Russian citizenship) for adherents of traditional values living around the world was viewed with caution by an expert on religious issues Alexander Voznesensky. A regular interlocutor of MK said that the cases of Catholics converting to Orthodoxy can be counted on one hand. But, in his opinion, a “simplification” for opponents of LGBT (the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation recognized the “LGBT movement” as an extremist organization and banned its activities in Russia) could lead to an increase in the number of non-religious people arriving in the Russian Federation.
“In fact, we are not talking about caring for certain Christians who support traditional values; rather, this is a forced step (of the Russian Church — MK) within the framework of inter-church politics,” says Voznesensky. — If we are talking about conservative Christians outside of Orthodoxy, then these are, first of all, Catholics. The most conservative Catholics live in Eastern Europe, the USA and Africa. And by a strange coincidence, it is the United States and Eastern European countries, such as Poland, that are the greatest drivers of Russophobia.
— Chairman of the Synodal Department for Relations of the Russian Orthodox Church with Society and the Media Vladimir Legoyda mentions a cleric from the United States who converted to Orthodoxy and became a priest. Isn’t it worth meeting the “defectors” halfway?
— If you face the truth, such cases can be counted on one hand. It is very strange if something like this is offered for the sake of convenient relocation of five to ten people to Russia.
There remain many Western African Christians. Do I understand correctly that Legoyda is proposing to transport black Catholics en masse to us? In addition, nowhere does it say that they will support people who want to convert to Orthodoxy.
And again, the situation looks very strange: doesn’t it turn out that the representative of the Russian Orthodox Church is calling for Russia to be populated with Catholics? Is this really in the interests of the Orthodox Church?
— In this case, what explanation can be given for what is happening?
— I am sure that all this is caused by the fact that Metropolitan Hilarion, the former head of the department of external Church Relations, during which the meeting between Patriarch Kirill and the Pope was organized, very harshly commented on the Vatican document, which approves the blessing of same-sex couples. After this, the Synodal Biblical-Theological Commission, headed by Metropolitan Hilarion, stated that the document declares the Catholic Church’s departure from the moral teachings of Christianity.
But we must not forget that “Catholicizing” the Russians is the long-standing dream of many popes. And if the door is opened, the Vatican will definitely take advantage of it, sending its missionaries to Russia.