News

Russian Church hopes new head of Anglican Church will not allow female bishops, same-sex marriage

Moscow, March 25, Interfax - The Moscow Patriarchate expects Justin Welby, the new Archbishop of Canterbury, to adhere to the norms of Christian morals and the church system.

"We know that the Anglican Church is now going through a difficult time and various views, positions, and parties co-exist in it. However, we really hope that the traditional understanding of Christian morals and the church system will prevail in this polemic," Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, the head of the Synodal Department for External Church Relations, said during a meeting between Welby and representatives of the Orthodox Churches who attended his enthronement.

The introduction of the institution of female bishops will lead to the elimination of even a theoretical possibility of the Moscow Patriarchate recognizing the church hierarchy of the Anglican Church, the communications service of the Department for External Church Relations reported on Saturday.

"I would like you to know about that and take our opinion into account when this issue arises again," Metropolitan Hilarion said.

Metropolitan Hilarion also said he is hoping Justin Welby will firmly defend the traditional biblical understanding of marriage as a union between a man and a woman "to prevent secular society from forcing on the Church of England the recognition of some forms of cohabitation which were never considered marriage by Christian churches."

Welby responded by saying he appreciates the comment, adding that the position of the Church of England on the issue of marriage is absolutely clear and it has recently confirmed that marriage is a life-long union between a man and a woman.

Print this page

Home

News

.	Customize latest news

• About 1 billion rubles were collected for building the main church of Russian Military Forces 21 September 2018, 18:29
• Serbian Orthodox Church opposes Constantinople's claim to determine Ukrainian Church's future 21 September 2018, 16:57
• Moscow lacks at least 20 synagogues 21 September 2018, 13:13
• Metropolitan Onufry is Ukraine's sole canonical Orthodox leader - Jerusalem Church's exarch 20 September 2018, 18:45
• Jehovah's Witnesses detained in Perm 20 September 2018, 15:23
• Poroshenko promises state protection for clergy, laity of Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate who join unified local church 20 September 2018, 14:11
• Putin attends sanctification ceremony for foundation stone of military's main church at Patriot Park 20 September 2018, 10:00
• Russian Church to help Syria return to peaceful life - Patriarch Kirill 19 September 2018, 10:00
• Putin, Erdogan didn't discuss conflict between Russian Orthodox Church, Constantinople – Peskov 18 September 2018, 12:23
• Constantinople exarch in Kiev collects works of Ukrainian nationalists 18 September 2018, 10:20
• Constantinople's exarch says willing to cooperate with "Kiev Patriarchate" 17 September 2018, 19:01
• Metropolitan Hilarion calls Constantinople policy mean 17 September 2018, 17:44
• Metropolitan Hilarion recommends Constantinople to form "one local Church in America" 17 September 2018, 17:44
• Metropolitan Hilarion accuses U.S. of deliberately destroying Russian Orthodox Church 17 September 2018, 11:32
• Russian Orthodox Church says Patriarchate of Constantinople status might be reviewed 14 September 2018, 21:55
• Patriarch Kirill's spokesman likens state of Moscow-Constantinople relations with yellow traffic light 14 September 2018, 21:53
• Moscow Patriarchate suspends mentioning of Patriarch Bartholomew in prayers at church services 14 September 2018, 21:48
• Constantinople Patriarchate has no right to interfere in Ukrainian church affairs - Metropolitan Onufry 14 September 2018, 15:29
• Constantinople has 'tradition' of encouraging schisms in Russian Orthodox Church - Patriarch Kirill 14 September 2018, 15:14
• Moldovan president proposes outlawing gay prides 14 September 2018, 14:31
• Kremlin following current session of Holy Synod of Russian Orthodox Church - Peskov 14 September 2018, 14:23
• UOC official believes most of its parishioners won't leave for Constantinople's "autocephaly" 14 September 2018, 09:43
• Russian Orthodox Church Holy Synod to hold extraordinary meeting on Sept 14 13 September 2018, 20:55
• Situation surrounding Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Kiev is state's brutal interference in Church affairs - Russian Foreign Ministry 13 September 2018, 17:15
• Metropolitan Hilarion meets with apostolic nuncio to Russia 13 September 2018, 14:07
• Greece's visa denial to Metropolitan Varsonofy scandalous - Moscow Patriarchate 13 September 2018, 13:06
• Constantinople's actions can result in a schism in Orthodoxy, exceeding the Great Schism of 1054, Russian church official says 13 September 2018, 13:03
• The Russian Orthodox Church urges UOC believers to unite around Metropolitan Onufry 13 September 2018, 11:53
• Constantinople legates arrive in Ukraine - sources 12 September 2018, 19:31
• Metropolitan Onufry calls on flock to stay faithful to the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church 12 September 2018, 17:08

Other news