Chairman of the Committee on Issues of Public Associations and Religious
Organizations Sergei Gavrilov
Sergey Anatolievich
noted that the President of Syria
at the meeting expressed interest in sharing of experience with Russia in improving legislation aimed at developing civil society institutions,
protecting human rights, regulation of migration and supporting the fellow
citizens.
“Bashar Al-Assad believes that a civil society based on the unity of Islam and Christianity will be able to overcome the consequences of the war,” the parliamentarian explained.
The President of Syria at the meeting expressed his opinion about politicized struggle in Ukraine against the canonical Orthodox Church, calling the situation “dangerous”.
“The leadership of the Syrian Arab Republic shares our view that due to the actions of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, there is a split in Orthodox world, which will lead to hundreds new divided Orthodox churches, in particular, the integrity of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch is under threat,” Sergei Gavrilov said.
Members of the State
Duma Dmitriy Sablin
Dmitry Vadimovich
, Sergei Gavrilov, Dmitrii Belik
Dmitry Anatolievich
and Hegumen Arseniy
(Sokolov) also held a meeting in Damascus with Primate of the Greek
Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All The East John X. Sergei Gavrilov stressed
that John X supported the aspirations of the Russian Orthodox Church to maintain
the unity of canonical Orthodoxy around the world. The Patriarch expressed the opinion that “the split in Ukraine, organized by non-Orthodox people is a political process masquerading as religious” and regretted that the Patriarch
of Constantinople “did not hear the voice of faith.”
At the end of the meeting, Patriarch John X of Antioch invited Orthodox politicians to visit Syria and Russian parliamentarians, in their turn, will assist in organizing this visit.
