People who want to “stir up” the society are trying to use church themes for their own purposes, but the Church remains one of the most authoritative and respected public institutions, said Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk.
Reflecting on the positions of the Russian Orthodox Church in modern society in the Church and the World program, His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion noted that the Church holds one of the leading positions in terms of trust among people, reports the press service of the Synodal Department for Church’s Relations with Society and Mass Media.
“I think it will be very difficult for someone to move the Church from this position, from this pedestal, because it has tremendous moral authority, even in spite of all the work that is being done against the Church,” the hierarch added.
At the same time, he expressed the conviction that “the more active the Church is, the more successful it is in its missionary, educational and charitable activities, the more opposition the Church will meet from the forces that are dissatisfied with its active presence in society.”