Russian Patriarch Calls Domestic Violence Bill 'Dangerous' Invasion Of Family Life

Russian Patriarch Calls Domestic Violence Bill 'Dangerous' Invasion of Family Life

Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill said on Wednesday that he viewed the current trends in legislation on the prevention of domestic violence as a "dangerous" and unacceptable intrusion in family life from the outside

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 04th December, 2019) Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill said on Wednesday that he viewed the current trends in legislation on the prevention of domestic violence as a "dangerous" and unacceptable intrusion in family life from the outside.

Last week, amid heated public discussions, the upper chamber of the Russian parliament introduced a bill that would forbid a person accused of domestic violence from contacting their victims either in person, or via phone or the internet. The abuser may also be forced to leave the home they are sharing with the victim and forbid from trying to find out the victim's whereabouts.

"Of course, no violence in the family should be allowed, but there is something dangerous in the tendencies that are forming today, including in the legislative sphere, when some try to legitimize the invasion of family life by outside forces, public or state organizations, or some kind of volunteers who are supposedly called upon to help resolve the situation in the family," Patriarch Kirill said during a sermon in the Kremlin's Dormition Cathedral.

The patriarch said it was unacceptable to interfere in the lives of families.

"A family is an alliance of two people who have married for love, who have children and who are personally responsible in the face of God and society for the condition of that family. It's impermissible to invade in family life to destroy the foundations of family relationships. Therefore, while fighting the use of force during family conflicts, we should not allow strangers invade in the family space with God knows what goals and thoughts," Patriarch Kirill stressed.

At the same time, the religious leader noted that people often turned to the Russian Church to confess their misunderstandings with their spouses. The patriarch emphasized the role of the Church in resolving family conflicts and urged priests, if necessary, to seek a meeting with both spouses to be able to settle disputes through spiritual guidance.