Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin (1968- ), the head of the MP Department for Church and Public Relations
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Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, the head of the MP Department of Church and Public Relations, believes that we must amend existing Russian legislation on abortion. “It’s hard to say what legal measures would be best, but the law should be changed”, Fr Vsevolod said Tuesday at a press conference in Moscow. However, before we change the law, it is necessary for us to change public attitudes to the problem of abortion, he said. “In Soviet times, we became accustomed to abortion, so we tend to think that it’s an unavoidable part of our legal framework and reality, and that we can’t do anything about it. In fact, today, we see that a lot can be done”, Fr Vsevolod said. He pointed up that, throughout the country, public protests against abortion occur daily, which are supported at all levels of the Church, from top to bottom. “The main participants in this are not clergy or church workers or monastics. They’re young people who are genuinely committed to the cause of reducing the number of abortions in Russia”, Fr Vsevolod noted. He drew attention to the fact that there are different positions with respect to changes in the law. “Some advocate an immediate and total ban on abortion, whilst some offer other measures, so that people who oppose abortion do not have to pay for it as a part of their taxes”, he said. Fr Vsevolod called on the various sectors of society to dialogue on legislative changes related to abortion, emphasising that the discussion should involve government, society (including the Orthodox community), and scientific circles.
1 June 2010
Interfax-Religion
Voices from Russia 
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