Speaking at a meeting with Russian Orthodox clergy to mark the ninetieth anniversary of the patriarchate’s restoration, President Vladimir Putin said that the state and the Church have a lot of scope for working together on addressing many of the nation’s issues.
The President named the demographic situation as being among the most urgent problems that the state and religious organisations need to address. Reviving family values and changing people’s attitudes to the institution of the family and issues regarding children’s education is possible only through a consolidated effort from the whole of society. Russia’s traditional religions have a very important role to play in this work, Mr Putin said.
The President said that religious education is a matter of principle importance. The State Duma has passed in the first reading amendments to the law on education and freedom of conscience giving religious educational establishments the right to have their education programmes accredited in accordance with state education standards and the right to issue diplomas recognised by the state. In this respect, the President said he is in favour of introducing religious education in Russian schools, but stressed that such education should encompass all of the country’s traditional religions and not be restricted to just one religion.