MOSCOW. JULY 24. /RIA Novosti's correspondent Alexandra Utkina/. The Russian Orthodox Church has voiced regret over the Russian President's rejection of the State Duma-proposed draft law on religious associations. The Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexii II issued a statement to this effect, which was released at a press conference in Moscow today by archishop of Solnechnogorsk Sergii.

In the document the Patriarch contends that the draft law was "misinterpreted by foreign media". He believes the law, if adopted, would "legally bar pseudo-religious organisations appearing on the territory of our country from penetration and activity".

The Patriarch also believes the rejection of the bill could create tension between the authorities and "the bulk of the people", thereby making more difficult the way towards peace and accord. According to father Sergii, the Moscow Patriarchate believes it necessary to make widely known to the public the text of the bill to bring about its broad discussion in regions. In this connection, father Sergii claimed that the new draft law is widely supported by the public.

The statement of the Patriarch says the Moscow Patriarchy has called for putting the law into effect without any amendments whatsoever. The Patriarch's statement notes that the mentioning in the bill of a phrase about "respect" to other confessions "in no way infringes on their activity".

According to the Metropolitan of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, Kirill, the Patriarch is currently sick and is staying in bed. Tomorrow the Patriarch is to pay an official visit to Lithuania, despite the doctors' advice to put it off.

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Johnson's Russia List

#1080

24 July 1997

djohnson@cdi.org