North Ossetian Leader Taymurz Mamsurov has declined the request to meet Archbishop of Vladikavkaz and Makhachkala Zosima, who had refused to talk with people protesting for a switch of head of the men’s monastery in Dagestan, RIA Novosti reports.
Archimandrite Antoni was a founder of the men’s monastery in North Ossetia. Zosima moved decided to move Antoni to Dagestan to spread the Orthodox Christianity. 1,500 North Ossetians were protesting. The archbishop met Speaker of the North Ossetian Parliament Larisa Khabitsova, who also wanted to keep Antoni in the republic. The protesters blocked Antoni’s way from the monastery for the whole night.
Mamsurov said that it is an act of neglect towards the population and will inform the Patriarch of Moscow and All-Russia Kirill. About a thousand signatures were sent to Mamsurov with request for an Orthodox delegation to the republic.
People decided to come to the monastery every day until the issue is resolved. Zosime urges the North Ossetian authorities to show calmness. The government and the church are independent and the government has no right to impose its decisions to it, he reminds.
