In fiery speech, Russian Orthodox representative urges Synod to battle secular ideology
October 21, 2015
A leading Russian Orthodox prelate gave an uncompromising defense of traditional Christian moral teaching, and condemned Western secularism, in an address to the Synod of Bishops.
“The Church is called to be a luminary and beacon in the darkness of this age,” said Metropolitan Hilarion, the chief ecumenical representative of the Moscow patriarchate. Invoking the image of the salt that loses its savor, he urged the Catholic bishops to remain stalwart in their opposition to secular ideology. “The salt which has lost is savor,” he said, “are those Protestant communities which call themselves Christian, but which preach moral ideals incompatible with Christianity.” He said:
The crisis of traditional values which we see in the consumer society leads to a contradiction between various preferences, including those in the realm of family relationships. Thus, feminism views motherhood as an obstacle to a woman’s self-realization, while by contrast having a baby is more often proclaimed as a right to be attained by all means possible. More often the family is viewed as a union of persons irrespective of their gender, and the human person can ‘choose’ his or her gender according to personal taste.
Metropolitan Hilarion said that government leaders in some European countries and in America “continue to advocate policies aimed at the destruction of the very concept of the family.” The Catholic and Orthodox churches should be united in fighting against this ideological approach, he argued.
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Posted by: normnuke -
Oct. 21, 2015 7:47 PM ET USA
Wow! Good stuff.
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Posted by: Minnesota Mary -
Oct. 21, 2015 7:34 PM ET USA
America and Russia have exchanged roles. Russia, no longer the "Evil Empire" has more of a future than America.
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Posted by: mwean7331 -
Oct. 21, 2015 6:49 PM ET USA
Wonderful! a Russian Orthodox prelate tells it like it really is. Hope some of the Roman Catholic prelates get it. seems there is light at the end of the synod "tunnel" Holy Spirit we re counting on you.
