Example of Church-State cooperation

Example of Church-State cooperation

The Agreement on cooperation between the State Antinarcotics’ committee and Russian Orthodox Church was signed on 21.12.2010.

On December, 21st, 2010 has taken place the next session of the State antinarcotics’ committee of Federal Department of the Russian Federation on control over drug trafficking.

In work of session, which was headed by the chairman of the State antinarcotics’ committee, the director of FSKN of Russia V.P.Ivanov, has taken part the Most holy Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Cyril.

«The Russian Orthodox Church is often a unique rescue for the drug-addicted people. The existing rehabilitation centres at temples and monasteries — and there are 25 — allow hundreds sick people to restore their health and skills of life in society. These centers possess unique experience of returning in a society hardest patients with addiction to psychoactive substances. Church is engaged in social rehabilitation, spiritual revival of the person.», — the director of FSKN has told, addressing to the Head of Russian Church.

The agreement assumes the church-state cooperation in sphere of preventive maintenance and rehabilitation of drug abuse, interaction with orthodox social services, moral and patriotic education of youth, charity, voluntary movement, support of groups of the self-help drug-addicted at orthodox parishes.

The agreement creates administrative mechanisms on maintenance of effective church-state cooperation in sphere of resistance to drug abuse. Development of the rehabilitation centers in the framework of Russian Orthodox Church which became a part of federal system of the rehabilitation centers in the Russian Federation becomes a priority within the limits of the Agreement. Also among the primary goals — creation of welfare fund for maintenance of financing actions in sphere of counteraction to drug abuse. Besides, the Agreement provides the organization of system for preparing priests and church social workers who will solve the problems of drug abuse.

Within the limits of the Agreement Russian Orthodox Church and the State Antinarcotics’ committee will carry out conferences, seminars, forums and also national charitable actions of an antinarcotics’ orientation.