Choose the hard way

Interreligious dialogue at the international level must bring real results, and not be reduced to general words, Patriarch Kirill said at a meeting of the European Council of Religious Leaders in Moscow.

“Interreligious dialogues must produce a strong spiritual and intellectual product. You cannot speak in general terms. General words are the easiest to subscribe to; no one takes any responsibility. No one reads these general statements,” the patriarch said.

As he noted, while interreligious groups are talking about peace and friendship, “bombs are exploding in the Middle East, the North Caucasus, and Europe.”

“Frightened to death, our powerful secular brothers, politicians, turn to religious leaders and say: organize a dialogue, help solve this problem. And these kinds of meetings take place. Those who explode bombs don’t even know about these meetings, and even if they do know, they don’t read anything,” the primate stated.

In his opinion, there are two levels - the level of "politically correct dialogue and the level of harsh and sometimes terrible reality."

“If we begin to produce a product that is convincing to people, we find a system of communication with the grassroots through our religious communities, parishes, local interreligious groups, private initiatives, we can truly make our unique contribution to the cause of peace and justice, the protection of human rights, human dignity and human responsibility,” the patriarch is convinced.

He criticized the “path of isolationism” that individual believers choose.

“Some Orthodox people say this: you are wasting energy in these dialogues and discussions, you will not succeed, you will not influence the development of human civilization, because this development is influenced by powerful forces - financial, mass media, political. You are wasting yourself spend. It is this attitude that underlies the very strong anti-ecumenical movement within the Russian Church," said Patriarch Kirill.

There is, according to him, another option - “to be politically correct, repeat the secular “mantra” and be good. Then everyone in the press will say that you are a progressive person, an advanced person, an example for others, but this will not be your authentic contribution to the international discourse, this will be your defeat."

“There is a third way - the most difficult one: try to authentically represent your position, find friends, like-minded people in different religions, traditions, among secular people, thinkers, philosophers, politicians, diplomats, build a system of fair dialogue,” the patriarch believes.