Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin (1968- ), head of the MP Department of Church and Society
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Anna Danilova
Many foreign media outlets seem to favour the observation, “The MP’s trying to distance itself from Putin”. For the Western media, this is a convenient slant to take in its coverage of the Church in Russia, since, for many years, the American and British media virtually equated the Church and the KGB. How would you evaluate these judgements of Western journalists?
Fr Vsevolod Chaplin
Many people tend to interpret events in the light of their preconceptions. The dream of some circles in the West is to transform the Church into a political oppositional bloc; I can feel that, based on my many years of contacts with Western embassies in Russia. They’re trying to encourage all hints of such a development with vigour. If you carefully and impartially look at what His Holiness said, it’s clear that his position’s deeply patriotic, and in no way shall he seek to destroy the Russian state or to support a “colour revolution”. This is obvious to everyone who reads his speeches. Of course, the various interpretations are always very different. For example, recently, I heard from one of the opposition deputies in the Gosduma that the Patriarch supports United Russia with all his might. Such versions, alas, will always be with us, too.
Anna Danilova
That really is a very common view. You’re saying that it’s wrong?
Fr Vsevolod
We’ll always hear such opinions, but I’m sure that they’re rather outré. Recently, Mr Belkovsky spoke at length on this. It’d be interesting to ask him, therefore, whether he supports us having working contacts with Boris Berezovsky and Natalia Timakova. Let’s see if he responds or not.
Anna Danilova
With whom does the Church stand with, today?
Fr Vsevolod
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill very accurately said that the congregation of the Church included both those who marched in the demonstration on the square and those who guarded the square. I’m pleased to say that the Church, in general, and our department, in particular, didn’t go along with those who wanted us to only stay in touch with their faction and condemn their opponents. Some people tell us to have no contact with “fascists”, whilst others tell us to avoid “Yids and Masons”. Some say to us, “Don’t strengthen the hand of the power-brokers”, whilst others tell us, “Don’t encourage that bunch on Bolotnaya Square”. I’m glad that I can keep in touch with both Communists and monarchists, and the adherents of Right Cause, United Russia, Just Russia, and the KPRF. I hope that the Church will never succumb to the pressure of those who’d like to make it part of their private social network, who only want to use it to oppose all other ideological blocs. The Church will always keep its doors open to both the government and to the people.
16 January 2012
Pravoslavie.ru
http://pravoslavie.ru/smi/50996.htm
