Patriarch Kirill: "Immigrants are a threat to the Russian world"

The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, spoke about the problem of the mixing of native Russians with immigrants, saying that silence on the issue is a "threat to the Russian world", and he also criticized "some Muslim leaders".

"The position of silence chosen by some regional authorities, ostensibly to reduce social tension, on the contrary leads to social discontent and is a serious threat to the Russian world," said the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.

The Patriarch noted that immigrants in Russia are considered "carriers of a different code of civilization and a different historical experience", they are a threat to "the Russian world, where Orthodoxy is at the core of its values".

"I emphasize once again: the disproportionate mixing of indigenous peoples with immigrants, other civilizations and people with other historical experience can create a serious cultural imbalance in our country, and this, in turn, will certainly pose a threat to the Russian world, which has Orthodoxy at the core of its values," he said. priest

Patriarch Kirill criticized "some Muslim leaders" for rejecting his stance on migrants. The head of the Russian Orthodox Church did not specify who he was talking about, but called them "not very friendly to the Russian Church."

It is worth noting that the explanation of the head of the Russian Orthodox Church on the issue of migration differs sharply from the position of the bishop of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis.

In September, the pontiff said deporting immigrants was a "grave" sin in Christianity, citing biblical passages that identified orphans, widows and foreigners as three categories of people society should care for.