Moscow (AsiaNews) - With a strong stance against some sections of Russian politics that have criticized the Russian Orthodox Church’s interference in social affairs of the country, it’s leader Kirill yesterday celebrated the second anniversary of his election as the 16th Patriarch Moscow.

Kirill, who presided over the Divine Liturgy in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow, stressed that "today more than ever the power of evil forces on the human race is very strong" and therefore the Church can not "remain indifferent to the proliferation of evil ".

"Some politicians - he continued - ask us arrogantly why the Church interferes in the areas that do not fall under its jurisdiction. This is the response to the work of the Church to help reduce the rate of divorces and abortions, to teach people how to dress appropriately and with dignity. " The reference is to the recent controversy about the idea of introducing a national dress code that bans, especially for women, the use of clothing considered vulgar and indecent.

For the celebration, one of the highest representatives of the Patriarchate of Moscow, the head of department for relations between the Church and society, Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, took stock of Kirill’s two years of leadership of the Russian Orthodox in an interview with the agency Interfax-Religion. "Unique events for the life of the Church have occurred during this period," said Chaplin. "The life of the Church, in particular, is particularly animated under the current Patriarch and all the barriers that prevented people of good from being involved have been removed," he noted. The priest, however, believes that the major result is that "the Church has not hesitated to tackle the most difficult challenges, and the greatest one is the need to change our society and convert it from moral indifference to a true spirit that is capable of developing life on the basis of God's truth".