International Orthodox Christian News

Moscow, December 16, Interfax – Today old ladies have become a minority in the Russian Orthodox Church, the Moscow Patriarchate official believes.

“The situation has dramatically changed. It didn’t happen at once in the early 90s, but about eight-ten years ago. Old ladies have become a minority at least in the church where I serve,” Deputy Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin said on air Finam FM.

According to Fr. Vsevolod, “when I give communion to people during divine liturgy on Sundays or festival days, old women constitute about 20-30 per cent, the majority is young families with children.”

“This situation is typical not only for Moscow. For example, I saw there were less than a half of grannies in Arkhangelsk church on a weekday,” the priest stressed.

Fr. Vsevolod pointed out to the important role of mass media in making youth permanent parishioners of Orthodox churches in recent years. “The situation has changed, I believe that people who speak about Orthodoxy and Christ in the media have no small share in it,” he said.

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