Samara, October 9, 2013
"At the present time, the curriculum of medical institutes of higher education does not include such subjects, the study of which would help the students to solve problems of life that they will definitely face in their future professional activity," said G. Kotelnikov at IV All-Russian convention of Orthodox doctors that was held in Samara.
According to him, the study of theology will help future doctors to solve disputed ethical issues. At the same time, he specified that in such a multinational and multi-confessional country as Russia, teaching of theology should be carried out very tactfully.
"Nobody should be hurt and nothing should be done by force," noted G. Kotelnikov, cited by the press service of the Synodal Department for Church Charity and Social Ministry.
Earlier a theological department opened in the Moscow Engineering and Physical Institute. This department is headed by Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Synodal Department for External Church Relations.
The opening of such a department provoked hot debates in the scientific community and the press. Thus, last June, about 100 members and corresponding members of the Russian Academy of Sciences wrote a letter to the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation requiring that the department of theology be closed, because Russia is a secular state.
