The Russian Orthodox Church wants to regulate the status of priests going to the Northern Military District zone

The Russian Orthodox Church intends to regulate the legal status of the clergy going to the Northern Military District zone, equating them in social rights with military personnel. Participants in the World Russian People’s Council that took place on Tuesday called for a speedy resolution of this issue. Kommersant also found out other details of possible amendments to the current legislation, supported, according to representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church, by the head of state. It is assumed, in particular, that only traditional confessions will receive the exclusive right to conclude agreements with the Ministry of Defense and send their representatives to the troops. For the clergy, the principle of double subordination can be established – to the clergy and to the military leadership. It is also planned to introduce a ban on the issuance of ammunition and weapons to priests. Experts note that “the settlement of the status of the military clergy during the Northern Military District may complete the process of creating an institute of chaplains in the Russian Federation.”

The topic of the legal status of the military clergy was raised within the framework of the XXV World Russian People’s Council “The Present and Future of the Russian World.” The council participants called for appropriate amendments to the legislation to be developed as soon as possible and submitted for consideration by the State Duma. Let us note that almost a year ago, the head of the legal department of the Moscow Patriarchate, Abbess Ksenia (Chernega), stated that the Russian Orthodox Church had already developed such a project. “This concept also provides for the hierarchical subordination of military priests to the clergy,” said the abbess, speaking in January 2023 as part of the XXXI International Christmas Readings. “In addition, clergy and members of their families should be provided with social benefits, guarantees and compensation equal to that social package, which is provided for by Russian legislation for military personnel performing military service under a contract and members of their families.” Representatives of the Ministry of Defense department for interaction with religious associations took part in the work on the project. At the request of Patriarch Kirill, Abbess Ksenia said, the document was reviewed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who instructed to work on the project with interested departments and support it.

This time, the question of the status of military priests was raised by Olga Timofeeva, head of the Duma Committee on the Development of Civil Society, Issues of Public and Religious Associations. “He (question— “Kommersant”) is not removed from control. For now, it is being decided, so to speak, according to a temporary scheme,” the deputy noted, explaining that we are talking about “assistants to commanders for working with believers.” “They are civil servants,” continued Mrs. Timofeeva. “And there are a large number of clergy on the front line who are not listed anywhere and are actually there as volunteers. We understand that their legal status has not yet been settled.” She assured that “any legislative initiatives on this issue will be checked with religious organizations before they are submitted to the State Duma.”

According to the head of the Synodal Department for interaction with the armed forces and law enforcement agencies, Metropolitan Kirill of Stavropol and Nevinnomyssk, “about a hundred Orthodox priests are on the front line every day”: “In total, during the period of the Northern Military District, 700 clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church visited the combat zone, making over 2,200 trips , some more than once. Seven priests died.”

“Vladimir Putin instructed to support the concept, which provides for the conclusion of agreements between traditional faiths and the Russian Ministry of Defense; the exclusive right of traditional faiths that have entered into the above-mentioned agreements to send military priests to military units; a ban on the issuance of ammunition and weapons to military chaplains; extending to the military clergy social benefits, guarantees and compensation established by the legislation of the Russian Federation for military personnel and members of their families, Abbess Ksenia told Kommersant. — It is proposed to consolidate at the federal law level the exclusive right of religious educational institutions to train military clergy under special training programs. Persons from among the teaching staff of military educational institutions may be involved in teaching on the basis of relevant agreements.”

The document “contains the position that when planning the federal budget of the Russian Federation for the next financial year, the allocation of financial resources and budgetary allocations should be provided for the spiritual development of the personality of military personnel, including the organization of personnel training for these purposes,” the Russian Orthodox Church notes. They emphasize the importance of “the thesis that military clergy, in accordance with the internal regulations of religious organizations, are hierarchically subordinate to religious organizations, and also fulfill the requirements established by agreements with military units.” Abbess Ksenia refers to the fact that “the principle of double subordination of military priests to the clergy and military leadership” is provided for by the legislation of a number of countries.

Representatives of Muslims also call the proposal to regulate the legal status of the military clergy “fair and necessary.” “From the very beginning to this day, clergymen of all traditional Russian religions have been in the area of ​​the special military operation,” said Rushan Abbyasov, First Deputy Chairman of the Council of Muftis of Russia, in an interview with Kommersant. “Performing spiritual service, they risk their lives and health . Therefore, legislative consolidation of their status, rights and guarantees on a parity basis is very important.”

“Regulation of the status of the military clergy during the Northern Military District can complete the process of creating an institute of chaplains,” says Roman Lunkin, head of the Center for the Study of Problems of Religion and Society at the Institute of Europe of the Russian Academy of Sciences. According to him, “the participation of the clergy in the SVO showed the demand for priests not only as people who perform divine services, but also as spiritual mentors in the broad sense of the word.” “Military clergy often take risks no less than military personnel, especially since priests, as a rule, directly help soldiers, but do not use weapons,” says Mr. Lunkin. “In this regard, the desire of the church to achieve the extension of all the benefits that participants have to military priests is understandable.” military operations and their families. Otherwise, it looks like inexplicable discrimination against spiritual mentors.”

Pavel Korobov