Russian Orthodox Church Stresses Condemnation of Defiling Religious Sanctities
In response to a letter from the head of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization (ICRO) about recent acts of Quran burning in Europe, Patriarch Kirill said desecration of the Quran is clearly aimed at fomenting discord and division among societies, culture and civilizations.
He deplored that fact that such acts of sacrilege that violate the rights of millions of believers, are organized with the support of certain governments.
He hailed ICRO’s initiative to draft a document on preventing sacrilegious acts against religious sanctities.
Patriarch Kirill noted, though, that such documents need more expert analysis, voicing the Russian Orthodox Church’s readiness for cooperation in this regard.
He went on to say that the issue of confronting desecration of religious sanctities can be among the topics of discussion at the next session of dialogue between Islam and Orthodox Christianity, which is slated to be held in Iran next year.
Kirill or Cyril, who is a Russian Orthodox bishop, became Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus' and Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church in February 2009.
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