Russian Patriarch says gays destroy mankind

While the head of the Catholic Church collects followers on Twitter, promising forgiveness of sins, the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Kirill, says that Russian monks should not use the Internet. He also says that citizens of Russia should not succumb to fashion trends from the West. Above all, he urges people to refrain from socially dangerous behavior. According to the patriarch, young people in Russia fall under the influence of many countries, where people have been moving towards legally justifiable sin. Patriarch Kirill is concerned about the legalization of same-sex marriage. According to him, this is an apocalyptic symptom. Legalizing gay marriage, he said, people step on the path of self-destruction. The head of the Russian Orthodox Church believes that the Russians are able to resist the corruption of morality. The head of the Union of Cinematographers of Russia, film director Nikita Mikhalkov, shares a similar opinion. According to Mikhalkov, the legalization of same-sex marriage affects cinematography and leads to the destruction of humanity. Russian Patriarch Says Gay Marriage 'Sign Of Apocalypse' The head of the Russian Orthodox Church has said that the legal recognition of same-sex marriage is "a very dangerous sign of the apocalypse." Patriarch Kirill told a congregation at Kazan Cathedral in Moscow's Red Square on July 21 that such recognition "means people are choosing a path of self-destruction." The patriarch criticized the states that have legalized same-sex marriage, saying that "some countries approve their choice in favor of sin and justify it by law." Kirill also said he supports a ban on "homosexual propoganda" recently signed into law by President Vladimir Putin. Homosexuality was decriminalized in Russia in 1993 but remains stigmatized in a country where the Orthodox Church still holds considerable influence. Gay-rights parades are forbidden and activists have been brutally attacked.