Moscow, Russia - Government accreditation of religious educational institutions in Russia will not result in the state gaining total control over them, deputy head of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations Vsevolod Chaplin has said.
"I don't think there is a threat of total control over the educational process being ceded in the transition to government accreditation. Naturally, a theological school should keep its centuries old traditions and the requirements developed for secular colleges cannot be automatically applied to them, however, I find the appearance of a general standard of education useful," he told Interfax on Wednesday.
Graduates of Christian or Muslim theological academies have not been regarded as people with a higher education in the past, he said.
"The graduates of higher religious educational institutions in Russia cannot get secular jobs or defend theses on secular subjects which constitutes an evident discrimination," he said.
He said the Russian Orthodox Church has been discussing the recognition of the diplomas of theological schools with the Education Ministry for many years.
"Our position and that of the ministry have come closer," he said.