Patriarch Kirill to Berl Lazar: The Russian Orthodox Church is not against holidays of “traditional” religions, provided that the “Orthodox majority” is respected

On April 28, 2011, it became known that the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Kirill responded to the appeal of the Chief Rabbi of Russia (FEOR) Berl Lazar. The reason for the appeal was a letter from the parishioners of the Intercession Church in Irkutsk local Jewish community. Orthodox in December 2010 protested against "turning the Jewish Hanukkah into an all-Russian holiday":

"Large-scale celebration of Hanukkah, installation of the menorah in the capital is provocative, daring and humiliating for people in Russia, most of which profess Orthodoxy, as well as Islam, and represents, in fact, a call for religious hatred," the letter said.

Patriarch Kirill, responding to the appeal of the Chief Rabbi, stated that the Russian Orthodox Church "has always opposed any manifestations of enmity and hatred on ethnic grounds, whether it be anti-Semitism, Russophobia, insults against people from the Caucasus or Central Asia.

"I assure you that our church has never objected to holding holidays of traditional Russian religions in public places condition of respect for the traditions and way of life of the Orthodox majority," said in a letter from the patriarch.

Recall that earlier the patriarch called for taking into account "culture and religion of the majority" in the construction of non-Orthodox churches.

Sources

• Church not against holding religious holidays in public, subject to respect for Orthodox majority - Patriarch Kirill // Interfax-religion. 2011. April 28.