Moscow, February 2, 2012
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin believes the state is indebted to the Church and promised to continue "paying this debt" and set up new possibilities for traditional religions.
"A lot has been done to restore religious organizations, to help them get on feet from early 1990s," the Prime said at St. Daniel Monastery yesterday as he came to congratulate Patriarch Kirill on the third anniversary of his enthronement.
"But for all the previous years the state inflicted so much damage to religious organizations that the state is in debt before the Church and other religious confessions," Putin said.
He also noted that for last decades a lot has been done, "Orthodox churches, mosques" were restored, "so many mosques have been built as never before." "But I'll say it again: the state is in debt, even if we look at the material side of this matter," he said.
According to him, restored churches "make only the smallest share of what should be done and what existed before, some things are impossible to restore."
"We should work to improve the situation," the head of the government said.
He assured that in future the state will pay much attention to religious sphere and "the same way, quietly and rhythmically pay debts and create possibilities for religious confessions."
