Church insists reform only valid with popular support

A top Russian Orthodox cleric has said that the Church supports a strong Russian state, but only if it exists in unity with the people and with all traditional faiths.

“All changes made without the people’s will, without understanding on the people’s part, without heeding the people’s advice, are morally illegitimate. Policy introduced without the people’s understanding and agreement is morally illegitimate, this must be clearly said now to those trying to make the people happy without the people’s own participation,” head of the Department for Relations between the Church and the Society of the Holy Synod Vsevolod Chaplin told representatives of the World Russian People's Council- an international forum founded and led by the Russian Orthodox Church for discussing the future of the country and its place in global politics and culture.

Chaplin said most of the forum’s members support a strong state. This, he stressed, does not mean that the people must always be led, always following instructions from above, especially if these are instructions from the so-called elite which, he noted, has not been elected and is accountable to no one, be it in the information, economic, expert or political area.          Read Here