The Moscow diocesan assembly prohibited the clergy from participating in the “election process” without a blessing

January 17, 2012 the head of the information department of the Russian Church, Vladimir Legoyda, said that according to By decision of the Diocesan Assembly of Moscow, the capital’s clergy “ do not participate in the electoral process without blessing in any format can ."

Vladimir Legoyda Let us recall that “the specific participation of the Church in any specific political processes is impossible, and “in pastoral functionality, the need to act as an observer on elections are not included.

January 18, 2012 at conversation with journalists, Fr. Vsevolod Chaplin said that "the participation of the Orthodox priests as observers is possible only if at least two conditions" - if "politicians give quite serious arguments in favor of such participation” and if the “hierarchy” approves it.

Association Orthodox experts stated that the clergy, “ not seen in "orange" propaganda, honest and patriotic shepherds, of whom Russian Church majority, as observers with blessing the hierarchies could become one of the guarantors of the honesty of the upcoming elections .”

Sources

• Priests cannot be election observers without blessing // RIA News. 2012. January 17.
• The Islamic clergy is ready to send their observers to the elections in the regions of the Russian Federation with a predominantly Muslim population // Interfax-religion. 2012. January 18.
• The participation of priests as election observers can become one of the guarantors of their honesty, believe Orthodox experts // There.