"To oust religion by violence from culture and personal mentality is more than illegal-it brings disintegration to a community. More and more people are now getting aware of that point.
"Christian Orthodoxy is part and parcel of Russian culture, which bases on Christian views of the world and its history," stressed the Patriarch.
Secular rulers often turn to Christian precepts and precedents as they analyse and solve many national and international problems, he emphatically added.
Parliament recently passed amendments to Russia's Land Code to grant religious organisations and institutions free holding of land plots they occupy. Patriarch Alexis highlighted this legislative innovation as an inspiring instance of constructive contacts between the Church and secular authorities. "It will give the Church a great positive impetus," he remarked.
The Patriarch told the gathering about his regular conferences with spokesmen of the many power branches-regional governors, the federal Justice and Culture ministers, the military, officials of all ranks, parliamentarians, and cultural activists.
