Russian Orthodox Church urges priests to abandon expensive cars
MOSCOW, may 31 — RIA Novosti. Russian Orthodox Church calls on priests to limit yourself to choosing a personal vehicle, to avoid the discredit of the clergy; such a position in the ROC adhere to for many years, told RIA Novosti on Wednesday in the Synodal Department for relations between Church and society and the media.
“Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Kirill in 2012 called the priests to abandon the use of expensive cars, since the position of the Russian Orthodox Church remains unchanged,” — said the representative of the Synodal Department.
As said the Patriarch, today the level of car production is that the difference in comfort between prestigious and less prestigious models is minimal, and you need to “think about how to use these vehicles, which could be a cause to discredit the clergy”.
According to him, in the modern information environment, any news connected with the Church is seen “through a magnifying glass”, and any unworthy act of a person associated with the Church, causes a flurry of negative publicity.
“Wherefore we as members of the Church are called to be an example for unbelievers, and for malvarosa”, — said the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church. The Patriarch also explained that he moved on vehicles provided by the state and meet safety requirements. Being a protected person, the Patriarch can not use other machines.
Last week the Internet-the newspaper “the Oryol news” published an article that the Bishop and Livenskogo maloarkhangel Nektarios (in the world Nikolay Seleznev) was the owner of the car Land Cruiser worth 6 million rubles. According to the journalists, in the Oryol metropolis they confirmed the fact that the priest appeared the SUV, and said machine donated by major agricultural holding.
On Tuesday, may 30, “Orlovskie Novosti” wrote that the newspaper received a letter supposedly signed by the Bishop. The letter contains the requirement to remove the information note from the site, otherwise the journalists would be prosecuted under paragraph 1 of article 148 of the criminal code “public actions expressing clear disrespect for society and committed to insult the religious feelings of believers”.
Later, Orel Archdiocese has published on its website an official statement that Vladyka Nektary any threatening letters to the newspaper were not sent the public message to be “fake”. At the same time in the Archdiocese has not commented on the appearance of the Bishop of an expensive SUV.