Church's social ministry curtailed
MOSCOW CHURCH ORDERED TO STOP FEEDING HOMELESS
SOVA, 23 May 2011
On 20 May 2011 it was learned that Moscow authorities told volunteers in the church of Kosma and Damian in Shubino that it is necessary for them to stop feeding homeless persons. This demand was based on the necessity of observing cleanliness in the center of the city; the church is located opposite Moscow city hall.
For several years, parishioners of the church have fed hot lunches to homeless persons twice a week. Each time several hundreds of persons have received food. The parish is still continuing to feed the homeless.
On 27 May 2011, Bishop Panteleimon, the chairman of the synodal department of RPTs for church charity, sent an official letter to Sergei Sobianin requesting the allocation to the church of premises for helping needy people "within the borders of the Central Administrative District, but away from busy streets, to which the church (of Kosma and Damian) would be able to move its ministry for feeding the homeless and giving them social aid," on an open-ended and costless lease. (tr. by PDS, posted 31 May 2011)
Russia Religion News Current News Items
http://www2.stetson.edu/~psteeves/relnews/00currentchoices.shtml__________________________
Irish Hermit: The Diocese of Moscow operates about 400 soup kitchens
