UOC-Moscow Patriarchate Criticizes State Family Policy
“The state policy should be aimed to restore the institute of natural family,” stated the authorized representative of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate in the office of the President’s Commissioner on Children’s Rights, Protopriest Oleh Melnychuk at the session of the Public Consultative Council on Protection of Rights of Children on 17 November.
According to UOC-MP representatives, he stated that the state family policy is not very effective as it is aimed to combat the consequences of the crises of the institute of family and not its causes.
“The spread of the social orphanhood, homelessness of a large number of children, child crime, alcoholism, drug addiction and pornography is a direct consequence of inappropriate fulfillment by the family as a social institute of its main function of bringing up children and formation of values of the future generation. Therefore, to protect and observe the rights of children, we should support the traditional natural family by all means,” said Fr. Oleh.
According to him, the rate of divorces in the country is still very high. Various forms of unregistered marriages have become wide spread. At the same time the statistics regarding one-parent families is still very sad. The priest also mentioned the low birth rate.
According to Fr. Oleh, by giving up the support of traditional families, the state actually produces an extramarital model of behaviour of the citizens.
