The enjoyment of political and civil rights should not lead to divisions and enmity. The Orthodox tradition of conciliarity presupposes the preservation of the unity of society on the basis of enduring moral values. The Church calls on people to restrain their selfish aspirations for the sake of the common good.

In the history of the peoples nourished by the Russian Orthodox Church, a fruitful idea has developed of the need for cooperation between the authorities and society. Political rights can fully serve this principle of state-social relations. This requires real representation of the interests of citizens at various levels of government and the provision of opportunities for civic action.

People's private life, worldview and will should not be subject to total control. Manipulation of people's choices and their consciousness by power structures, political forces, economic and information elites is dangerous for society. It is also unacceptable to collect, concentrate and use information about any aspect of people's lives without their consent. In cases where it is required by the defense of the Fatherland, the preservation of morality, the protection of health, the rights and legitimate interests of citizens, as well as the prevention or detection of crimes and the administration of justice, the collection of information about a person may be carried out without his consent. However, even in these cases, the receipt and use of information must be carried out in accordance with the stated goals and in compliance with the law. Methods of collecting and processing information about people should not belittle human dignity, restrict freedom and turn a person from a subject of social relations into an object of machine control. Even more dangerous for human freedom will be the introduction of technical means that constantly accompany a person or are inseparable from his body, if they can be used to control and control the personality.

The unity and interrelatedness of civil and political, economic and social, individual and collective human rights can contribute to the harmony of society at both the national and international levels. The social value and effectiveness of the entire system of human rights depend on the extent to which it creates conditions for the growth of the individual in God-given dignity and is coupled with the responsibility of a person for his actions before God and his neighbors.

5. Principles and Directions of the Human Rights Work of the Russian Orthodox Church

5.1. From ancient times to the present day, the Orthodox Church has grieved before the authorities for people unjustly convicted, humiliated, destitute, and exploited. The merciful intercession of the Church extends to those who bear just punishment for their crimes. The Church has also repeatedly called for an end to violence and a softening of morals when conflicts erupt in which human rights to life, health, liberty and property were trampled upon. Finally, during the years of atheistic persecution, Orthodox hierarchs, clergy and laity appealed to the authorities and society, defending the freedom of confession of faith and defending the right to broad participation of religious communities in the life of the people.

5.2. In the same way, today we are called to zealously – not only in words, but also in deeds – to take care of the preservation of human rights and dignity. At the same time, we are aware that in the modern world, human rights are sometimes violated, and his dignity is trampled upon not only by state power, but also by transnational structures, economic entities, pseudo-religious groups, terrorist and other criminal communities. Increasingly, human dignity and rights have to be protected from destructive information aggression.

The following areas should be highlighted for our human rights work today:

— отстаивание права людей на свободное исповедание веры, на совершение молитвы и богослужения, на сохранение духовно-культурных традиций, на следование религиозным принципам как в частной жизни, так и в сфере общественного действия;

противостояние преступлениям на почве национальной и религиозной вражды;

охрана личности от произвола лиц, облеченных властью, и работодателей, а также от насилия и унижения в семье и коллективе;

защита жизни, свободного выбора и достояния людей в ходе межнациональных, политических, экономических и со­циальных конфликтов;

пастырское попечение о воинах, о сохранении их прав и достоинства в условиях боевых действий и несения службы в мирное время;