Russia chooses the only right way by protecting traditional family values in its Constitution, former First Hierarch of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) metropolitan Jonah Paffhausen told Sputnik on Friday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st February, 2020) Russia chooses the only right way by protecting traditional family values in its Constitution, former First Hierarch of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) metropolitan Jonah Paffhausen told Sputnik on Friday.
Earlier in February, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a meeting with the working group responsible for drafting the constitutional amendments that as long as he is the President there won't be "parent 1 and parent 2" instead of "father and mother" in Russia.
"I am very thankful that President Putin is standing up for traditional family values. That is the only thing that will support the health of the family and all its members, and society in general," metropolitan Jonah, who is currently in the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR), said.
Paffhausen became one of the first Orthodox hierarch who was leading the joint prayer during the traditional March for Life - a major rally in Washington gathering thousands people who support traditional family and protest against abortions.
"Men and women, male and female, are complementary, and fulfill one another emotionally and spiritually as well as physically," he said.
American and Russian societies were "radically secularized" in the 20th century, and Russia is only in the beginning of changing its way, the metropolitan acknowledged.
"We still embrace it, sadly, and the victims are the people of our country and especially its children," he said.
Paffhausen supported traditional family and spoke against living without marriage.
"Those who do not marry, and live in casual relationships, seldom remain together," he said. "This deeply hurts both parties, and especially the children who need both a mother and a father to nurture them."
Violation of traditional family values creates "cultural pressure" within the church, and the clergy feel it as they counsel and confess people, and accompany them through breakups and divorces, metropolitan admitted.
He acknowledged that some people try to legalize same sex marriage inside the Orthodox Church. Doing so they put themselves outside Orthodoxy and its Tradition, he added.
"We must stand on the Tradition of the Apostles, the Scriptures and the Fathers, and remain steadfast that marriage is only between a man and a woman, and it is for the bearing of children," metropolitan Jonah said. "We must call everyone to repentance and to follow Jesus Christ as the way to salvation. It is a strict and narrow path, but it takes us to the Kingdom of God. "
In his address to the parliament in mid-January, Putin offered important changes to the constitution, including reducing the presidency to two terms and expanding the role of the legislature.
After both chambers of the Russian parliament pass the bill, an all-Russian vote on the amendments will take place. Last week, Putin ordered that preparations start for the all-Russian vote.
