Sacred Nissan

Patriarch Kirill urged priests to abandon expensive cars, so as not to “provoke a negative public discussion and not discredit the clergy,” RIA Novosti reports. “Let's think that we use vehicles that ill -wishers will not use as a reason to discredit the clergy. I urge you to modestly and a reasonable approach, which should also remove the appropriate accusation from the church and the clergy,” the Patriarch said at the Moscow Diocese Assembly.

According to the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, often expensive cars are bought by sponsors, but here it is necessary to think "twenty times." “I don’t want to make recommendations, but there are Japanese and Korean cars, some European cars that are not inferior in either comfort or security, but the brand of this machine will never appear in the news,” the Patriarch turned to the clergy.

He also explained about cars that he uses the first person of the church. "I use cars from the state garage that provides a special garage. These cars meet the relevant security requirements, and I, as a protected person, cannot use other cars," the Patriarch said.

He also noted that the church should make sure that the priest does not get behind the wheel after using the Holy Gifts. According to the patriarch, the obligation to deliver the priest home lies on the parish in which the cleric serves.

In 2010, the Sablegory Foundation, defending the ideas of secularism, turned to the Accounts Chamber, Prosecutor General and FSO with a request to evaluate the legality of the provision of state preservations to the head of the Russian Orthodox Church. Representatives of the Fund drew the attention of the authorities to the fact that ensuring the security of the Patriarch by the FSO forces is a violation of Article 14 of the Constitution, according to which Russia is a secular state, and all religious associations are equal before the law. According to their assessment, the fact of such protection is inappropriate spending of budget funds, and also distracts the FSO employees from their main duties. According to the current legislation, the president, a number of persons replacing government positions, federal civil servants, as well as the heads of foreign states and governments are provided with security.

In the response of the FSO, signed by the head of the FSO legal support department, Nikolai Evsenin, it was said that the presidential decree on the provision of security was signed in accordance with Article 80 of the Constitution. This article says that the president is the head of state, the guarantor of the constitution, rights and freedoms of man and citizen.