Russian Orthodox Church bristles at Council of Europe resolutions
MOSCOW (AP) -- The Russian Orthodox Church has expressed anger at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, saying its recent resolutions concerning religious issues could foment instability and conflict.
The church criticized the assembly's recent ''Women and Religion'' resolution, saying a call to fight ''religiously motivated stereotypes'' of female and male roles represented ''contempt for views shared by millions of believers.''
Russian Orthodox leaders claimed that the resolution amounted to an attempt to establish ''an ideological control over people's beliefs, ideals and way of life. Such an approach could only lead to a growing instability,'' the church said in a Dec. 13 statement.
The European group, which held its first session in 1949, promotes democracy and human rights.