02.11.2017, Russia.
On November 1st, at the opening of the 21st World Russian People’s Council, The Patriarch of Moscow and All of Russia Kirill spoke regarding the need to create a patriotic elite, TASS reports.
The Patriarch said, “Elites cannot be appointed artificially, we need a foundation to draw a modern elite from. To grow an elite, we have to cultivate our people and our society, and invest resources into it. If we fail to cultivate our people, others will do it.”
He also reminded to those gathered that “the elite is not someone, who is exalted over the people. A true elite is made of people who accept responsibility for the future of the country, who identify their personal interests with national and state interests.”
At the same time, while speaking regarding the emergence of a patriotic elite, the Russian Orthodox Patriarch described his ideal social order. “I believe that the image of the future is the image of the people and the elite, who would mutually reinforce each other. The elites and the people must be an indivisible and unified entity,” he said.
In the historical disturbances in Imperial and Soviet Russia of early and late 20th century, the Patriarch sees the necessity to grow a patriotic elite. He sees the root of these disturbances in the weakness of the ruling elites.
The World Russian People’s Council is an international non-governmental organization, established in 1993 under the auspices of the Russian Orthodox Church with the aim to consolidate the Russian people. The official web-site of the Russian Orthodox Church informs that all branches of government participate in the Council, political parties leaders, heads of non-governmental associations, defense and law enforcement agencies, traditional faith religious establishment, scientists, people working in education and culture, delegates from the Russian communities from the neighboring countries and the countries from the far abroad. The Council is one of the intellectual centers. In 2016, the Council discussed Russia and the West: peoples’ dialogue in addressing civilizational challenges, where the relations between Russia and the western countries were discussed.
Source: Rossa Primavera News Agency
