The Russian Church hopes a cultural wall won’t divide Russia and Europe

02 September 2008, 13:12

Moscow, September 2, Interfax – Professor of the Moscow Theological Academy Deacon Andrey Kurayev has pointed out the Orthodox Russia and classical Europe share the system of values.

The Gazeta daily on Tuesday quotes Fr. Andrey “Europe for me is not a Europe of the European Parliament and I don’t want cultural walls to be erected between Russia and my Europe of Dickens and Hugo,” as saying.

He believes that “Europe is our home, and Europe doesn’t mean NATO.”

“System of values shared by a Russian Orthodox Christian is also shared by a representative of the classical Europe,” the famous theologian said.

He thinks today this classical Europe “sinks and dies,” as a wave of “nihilist consumer kitsch” overflows it as well as Russia.

“Thus we have the same springs and the same swamps,” Fr. Andrey believes.

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