On the day of his third year anniversary as the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill appealed to the faithful not to attend the protest demonstrations, coming up this weekend across Russia.

      Addressing the attendees of the holy liturgy at the Christ the Saviour Cathedral in Moscow, Patriarch Kirill reminded the audience that "the loudest and the stingiest word is not always the right one". In his words, the Russian Orthodox people should rather pray in their houses and churches that God saves the country from the mistakes and confusions that had befallen the country at least twice in the course of the 20th c., than organise or attend political demonstrations.

      Earlier the Russian Orthodox Church stated that it would remain neutral in the power struggle, saying that its flock consists of both pro-Kremlin and opposition figures.

      Source: Kasparov.ru. Image courtesy: MirVam.