Church Demands to Punish More Severely

Trespassers who cut crosses in the Arkhangelsk and Chelyabinsk areas should be severely punished, the Moscow patriarchy declared. At night unknown cut down memorial cross in Arkhangelsk and three memorial crosses established in July of the current year next to the entry into the village Smelovsky of Verkhneuralsky district of the Chelyabinsk region.

“Event unequivocally speaks about moral shape of those who encroaches on Church today. These people trample both the law and moral norms. Using symbolical actions they try to approve their power over the majority of people, that is to trample their will, to challenge or even to change their historical choice”, — the head of Synod Department on Relations of Church and Society archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin declared to "Interfax Religion" on Saturday.

According to him, for this reason such actions — “not a prank and not small act of hooliganism, they should be investigated, proved and stopped in future”.

“It is a question of principle, it’s a point of honor of our law enforcement bodies, the state and all society because people who have no moral limiters inside don't stop even before violation of the law, these are people who won't stop before anything”, — the priest emphasized.

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From editorial board: There is only one question - under what law archpriest Chaplin intends to judge those who cut down crosses? Following the Scripture?

It will be difficult to find in the legislation of the Russian Federation the norm according to which it is possible to condemn a person who cut a cross on the road. Perhaps, it’s even more difficult than to find the article of the Criminal Code for "blaspheming" members of "Pussy Riot".

After all what “memorial cross” is? It’s not a monument and not a temple, it even doesn’t have certain owner who can maintain an action for material damage - usually crosses are put on small money of philanthropists and the property right isn't established. It simply stand.

Certainly, it is possible to apply the "rubber" formulation about insult of feelings of the believers, but it would be desirable to know – who are those believers? Those who go to pray to a cross standing next to the entry of the town? Besides recently such crosses have started multiplying and it is quite possible to assume that they become an object which is very convenient to use for expression of discontent with church actions.

Absolutely neutral cross just stands on the road. It’s belonging to the Russian Orthodox Church isn't registered. Someone likes to stick huge crosses. Someone likes to cut – say, he doesn’t find them attractive.

Here you are such interesting question – if all people in Russia should like crosses on the roads? For example, they remind me crosses on the Appien Way from which actually they lead their family tree. It’s only necessary to tie 33 year old Jew to it or, in the spirit of time, some Tajik. I don’t like this custom appeared out of a left field. There’s such feeling that all country became one huge cemetery with the gravestones stuck in memory of the great people living once here.

Christianity – is, by the way, light and joyful religion. While we have eternal country churchyard.

If my feelings are interesting to anyone? At least esthetic ones?

Why then I should be interested in the feelings of archpriest Chaplin and others? Besides I don't believe in sincerity of their feelings, if it’s not feeling of hunger and sensation of fear. I also believe in greed. While I can hardly believe that mentioned archpriest has soul. Let him show it, if I am mistaken.

Yes, it is bad to cut crosses - I do not approve it, it’s not well. But when the church calls not for mercy, but for making revenge disregardless law standards – it’s already very, very bad.

Three young girls were imprisoned for two years for three minutes of performance. Nothing but chaplins’ feelings got suffered. Now law enforcement bodies instead of looking for murderers and tyrants will start searching for "resonant" cutters. God forbid if they will find someone, will thrust a bottle of champagne somewhere and will receive "honest confession". How many years, according to the orthodox public, should they stay in prison for cutting out of two crossed sticks on the road? 5 years, 10? Whether they will be satisfied?

Perhaps we should catch the villains and to crucify them on the restored cross for edification?

What crystal clarity archpriests have! Not a minute of doubt - to punish, punish, stop! The church doesn’t ask itself a question why such things take place. Why nobody touched either crosses or temples and then suddenly began – one thing, then other. May be there’s something wrong about the church?

Аnatoly Baranov

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