Violating God's laws by legislating in favor of same-sex ‘marriage’ is a threat to human civilization, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia has said.

Speaking after a liturgy on Sunday at the Kremlin's Cathedral of the Assumption in commemoration of the Russian Orthodox Church's New Martyrs and confessors, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church said it’s possible to argue that such laws are needed “to avoid discrimination against anyone in anything.” 

“But the next moment one realizes that it is not civil, political, economic, or cultural discrimination that is meant here, but something that has never been seen as discrimination at all,” he said. “What is meant here is a person's intimate life.” 

"We are offered to justify the sinful ruining of this life by laws," he added, according to the Russian news agency Interfax. But the patriarch continued: “Never in the history of mankind have state laws been used to justify sin. Even the pagans did not do that, although the pagan understanding of what sin is like was very vague.”

"God gave laws to humankind, whose violation is leading to a destruction of human civilization," he said.

"If we are to live on as a nation, as a society and as a human civilization, we must not venture to challenge the God-given laws," the Russian patriarch said.

Child Euthanasia in Belgium: Church Calls Day of Fasting, Prayer

Archbishop Andre-Joseph Leonard of Malines-Brussels made an urgent call to all the faithful of the Archdiocese to livea day of fasting and a Vigil of Prayer to “awaken consciences and have a last public debate,” in face of the possible extension of the Law of Euthanasia for minors in Belgium. “Other Christians, believers of other religions, agnostics and atheists” are also invited to join this initiative.