PENTECOSTALS AND CATHOLICS CALL FOR DISCUSSION OF DRAFT LAW ON FAMILY AND CUSTODY
Broad discussion of a draft law concerning the procedure for removal of children from a family should have been conducted with the participation of representatives of confessions back before the introduction of the document into the State Duma, the ruling bishop of the Russian Associated Union of Christians of Evangelical Faith—Pentecostals, Sergei Riakhovsky declared. Earlier, Patriarch of Moscow and all-Rus Kirill called "risky" the draft law, which regulates the procedure for removal of children from a family when there is a threat to their life and health, and he also urged holding a broad public discussion of this legislative initiative with the participation of the confessions. Patriarch Kirill's initiative had already been supported by the head of the Ecclesiastical Assembly of Muslims of Russia, Mufti Albir Krganov, and also the supreme lama of Kalmykia, Telo Tulku Rinpoche.
"It is very bad when such an important bill, affecting the foundation of society like the family, comes up for consideration in the State Duma without a broad public discussion. It is absolutely impermissible," Riakhovsky said.
He cited as an example the draft law "on certification of clergy," which was "also introduced into the State Duma without preliminary readings in the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation and without discussion in the Council for Cooperation with Religious Associations under the president."
"On the whole, we advocate the limitation of the interference of the state in the affairs of the family. . . . As regards the procedure for removal, this should be thought out to the smallest detail so that there not be excessive red tape when danger threatens the life of children, but there also should not be a repetition of notorious situations when agencies of guardianship remove children because of insufficiency, in their opinion, of the number of toys," the bishop emphasized.
In his turn, the vicar general of the Roman Catholic archdiocese of the Mother of God in Moscow, priest Kirill Gorbunov, told RIA Novosti that the draft bill is being examined in the Catholic community.
"If the confessions are invited to a discussion, then of course we will participate," Gorbunov concluded.
Deputy Pavel Krasheninnikov and Senator Andrei Klishas introduced into the State Duma a draft law with amendments to a number of laws and codes for implementing the adoption of amendments of the constitution for protecting the family and creating conditions for decent rearing of children. The initiative proposes to limit the extra-judicial procedure for removing children from a family. The bill proposes to establish that the question of removal of a child will be within the competence of a court. The draft law provides that the application for removal of a child will be reviewed by a court in closed session. (tr. by PDS, posted 10 October 2020)
MUFTI URGES DISCUSSION OF DRAFT OF LAW ON REMOVAL OF CHILDREN FROM FAMILIES IN RUSSIA
The Ecclesiastical Assembly of Muslims of Russia [DCMR] supports Patriarch Kirill's idea of conducting broad discussion of a draft law regulating the procedure for removing children from a family, the new head of the DCMR told RIA Novosti.
Earlier, on Thursday, Patriarch of Moscow and all-Rus Kirill called "risky" a draft law, which regulates the procedure for removing children from a family when there is a threat to their life and health, and he also urged developing a broad public discussion of this legislative initiative, with the participation of the confessions. He wrote about this in a letter of 28 September to the chairman of the State Duma, Viacheslav Volodin; the text of the document was posted on Thursday on the RPTs website.
"We support Patriarch Kirill's initiative that it would be correct to discuss this topic more broadly, including, for example, in the public chambers in the Russian regions. The topic is very sensitive, affecting the family and people's fates," Krganov said.
He said that both in the capital and in the regions, "there are many questions about the draft law.
"The standing commission in the Public Chamber is discussing it and there will be a conclusion. It all comes down to the fact that it is necessary to make details of the draft law specific. We support the conclusion of the commission. The main question is how will this draft law be applied," the head of DSMR explained.
He said that the community understands the need for legislative strengthening of human rights, but he urged "not to forget about traditions." "It is necessary that the problem of a dysfunctional family and the removal of children not be merely a matter of a family and a court, so that society also can be included in the resolution of a problem," the mufti concluded. . . . (tr. by PDS, posted 10 October 2020)
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