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Europe losing Christian identity due to secularism - Patriarch Kirill

Baku, November 14, Interfax - Secularism is the reason why Europe is losing its Christian identity, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia said.

"Supporters of the secular idea believe that giving up religion will be good for all people [...] Along with religion, they deny traditional moral values such as marriage as a union between a man and a woman and the inviolability of human life from the moment of conception to natural death. Those who find the courage to publicly criticize unnatural moral permissiveness are accused by adherents of the secular idea of intolerance. We take close to heart the situation in Europe, which was once a stronghold of Christianity and is now rapidly losing its religious identity," the patriarch said at the opening ceremony of the Summit of World Religious Leaders in Baku on Thursday.

He said he believes the issue of Middle Eastern refugees is also connected to the identity crisis. "The Middle Eastern crisis has caused mass migration. Unfortunately, not all migrants have turned out to be ready to interact with the native population of the countries they arrived in. Many lacked an elementary culture of interreligious and interethnic communication, and therefore initiatives such as today's summit are especially important," the patriarch said.

The Second Baku Summit of World Religious Leaders is being held in Baku on November 14-15. The summit is timed to take place on the 70th anniversary of Chairman of the Caucasus Muslims Office Sheikhulislam Allahshukur Pasha-zade and the 40th anniversary of his work as chairman of the Caucasus Muslims Office. Some 200 leaders of traditional religions from different countries have been invited to the summit. It has been organized by the Caucasus Muslims Office and the state authorities of Azerbaijan.

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