Patriarch Cyril for the first time in my life I saw a homeless man in San Francisco
Moscow. 26 Oct. INTERFAX.RU — Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Kirill expressed the view that the country where there are homeless, can not become an example for others.
“I will never forget my first meeting with the homeless, it was not in our country, and in San Francisco, in the United States, at a time when the Soviet Union was not such thing as homeless people,” — said the Patriarch at the opening of the VII Congress of the Church in social service in Moscow.
The future Primate was living in the hotel overlooking the main square and saw the evening the area is filled with people, and people lie on the benches, on net, from which exhaust warm air from the premises.
I first saw homeless people in the centre a prosperous, rich city. Much then is my heart wounded.
“What is this country! How she can call herself great! How she can call herself rich! How can it speak about itself as an example to others if around a huge number of people have no home!” — marveled at the Patriarch.
He noted with regret that today the homeless appeared in Russia.
Regardless of why people have lost their homes, our objective is to help such people
As a positive example, he cited the Church bus of mercy, which, according to the Patriarch, “became contagious and for certain public social services, which began to collect homeless people, especially in the heavy winter days and nights.”
“We need to continue this work, especially in large cities, regardless of how people appreciate our work”, — concluded the Patriarch thanked all those who work in the Church today “with the category of poor people”.