The ROC stands for learning the basics of the Church Slavonic language in schools
MOSCOW, 24 Jun — RIA Novosti. Learning the basics of the Church Slavonic language it would be appropriate to include in the school curriculum in Russia, said on Saturday the press Secretary of the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Kirill, the priest of Alexander Volkov.
Church Slavonic language is the liturgical language of the Russian Orthodox Church. Before the revolution, Church Slavonic, along with the “Law of God”, studied in the elementary grades. Many words of this language moved into the modern Russian language.
“It would be good school to learn at least the basics of the Church Slavonic language — just for General cultural level. Even if the person had never crossed the threshold of the temple, all the same, it’s such an important component. This is important even from the point of view of General cultural, intellectual development of a young person,” Volkov told the radio station “Vesti FM”.
According to him, the Church Slavonic language is the “beautiful poetry” which “is a very wonderful and deep, and deserves to learn”.
Press Secretary of the Patriarch also noted that the language is not studied in educational institutions, often incomprehensible to people who come to worship. “There are people who, for many years, I go to the temple and not bother to find out what do some Church Slavonic words and expressions that they hear, they just don’t even pay attention, not interested. Unfortunately, we have these parishioners,” acknowledged the priest.
According to Volkov, in many churches the gospel is read in Russian — it is one of the most important moments of worship, or the congregation just distributed leaflets with the translation of the gospel into Russian. However, he assured that “a complete translation of the language of worship (Russian language edition), such a trunk is not on the agenda”.
Earlier the society was proposed for inclusion in the program of Russian schools the lessons of the Church Slavonic language. So, in may of this year on this idea called think the President of the Russian Academy of education Professor Lyudmila Verbitskaya, who took part in the presentation of the first volume of the “Great dictionary of the Church Slavonic language of the New age”. Verbitskaya said that such idea was discussed at a meeting of the Presidium of the Society of Russian literature. In her opinion, this proposal “very interesting”, so “above it is necessary to think”.