This document adopted by the Bishops’ Council of the Russian Orthodox Church sets forth basic affirmations of her teaching on church-state relations and a number of socially significant problems of today. It also reflects the official position of the Moscow Patriarchate on relations with the state and secular society. In addition, it offers a number of guidelines to be used by the episcopate, clergy and laity in this area.
The nature of the document is determined by the fact that it addresses the needs of the Plenitude of the Russian Orthodox Church as these have been experienced for a long time both inside and outside the canonical territory of the Moscow Patriarchate. Therefore, its principal subject are fundamental theological and ecclesiastical-social issues, as well as those aspects of public and social life which were and remain equally relevant for the whole Church in the end of the 20th century and in the nearest future.
For a number of years, the Russian Orthodox Church has observed with maternal love and concern the development of the Orthodox Church which she planted on the American continent. In the last few decades she has sorrowfully witnessed the unfortunate appearance there of a pluralism of ecclesiastical jurisdictions, a temporary phenomenon, and by no means a permanent norm of the canonical organization of the Orthodox Church in America, since it is contrary to the nature of Orthodox canonical ecclesiastical unity.
