Patriarch Kirill marks a positive role of crisis

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia said that the global economic crisis will do its bit for spiritual improvement of people, despite its adverse effects.

"Not only is the crisis our plague, it is also our blessing. It gives us a good opportunity for soul-searching and makes us think. Following our well-trodden ways, we get used to our bread-and-butter sandwich, but when this sandwich is taken from our mouths, this means a challenge and an impulse," Patriarch Kirill said Sunday at a press conference in Kaliningrad.

According to him, the downturn gives the global community a chance to "get rid of the unwanted ballast of easy money, wash out economic wrongs, and gratuitous self-indulgence, and make every person face the real world."

Therefore, Patriarch speculates, the economic crisis "should encourage people to seek ethical and religious conclusions." Speaking about this, the Patriarch voiced his hope that the global recession would help many people to develop the right attitude to work and money, make them pull themselves together and value their jobs.

Patriarch urged people to remember that money imposes a huge responsibility upon its owner, because "God does not give money for squandering." Russia has not yet developed such careless attitude to accumulated capital as Western countries have, where one can see elderly ladies walking their dogs on the leashes decorated with diamonds." However, in Russia, according to Patriarch, there arises a new class of self-indulgent people and idlers who only throw their money about."

Patriarch Kirill expressed hope that the economic crisis would "finally pick this thin artificial coating called "virtual economy" which covers nothing in fact, and the Russian society will emerge from the crisis strong rather than weakened."

Patriarch Kirill confessed that he is happy about the recent statements relative to the crisis made by the leaders of Russia and some foreign states, in particular, he thinks that the statements by Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown agree with the standpoint of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Patriarch urged everyone to remember that by virtue of this crisis God gives the global community another chance to purify. "The main thing is to avoid hysteria and fault-finding, in particular, with the authorities," Patriarch said.

Source: Interfax religion