“If the moral and value foundations of European life are revised, what does it mean to the European civilization? And at the same time, the flow of refugees, who have a foreign religion and culture. It’s a colossal challenge. And we don’t know how this challenge will be taken,” the patriarch said, in an interview with NTV television, a complete version of which will air on Sunday, for Easter.
Speaking about the development of the modern civilization, he said that “the world is going straight to hell.” “I don’t know how it will be taken now, but as a priest, I have to say honestly what I think. Because, if you destroy the moral foundation of a person, destroy his internal life, reformat, the person stops being a person,” the patriarch said.
The patriarch also spoke about the revival of faith in Russia, saying that it cannot be explained just by the efforts taken by priests.
“Here, we have a surprising combination of factors, historical, philosophical and political. And religious, of course. We have a new flock and, by God’s mercy, I believe that the face of the Russian Orthodox Church is being renewed,” he said.
