A senior Russian Orthodox priest has accused Western Christians of making a "deal with evil" and "betraying and forgetting Christian ideals", while insisting his own Church will "open doors" to a better life for Europe.
"The Church must reserve the right to speak in society as a power in all areas of public life, fulfilling a prophetic role ... as the voice of God in politics, economics, public processes and people's private lives," said Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, head of the Church's Synodal Department for Church-Society Relations.
"Western Christians have made a deal with evil and forgotten Christian spiritual and social ideals in order to avoid conflicts with social groups which are used to speaking on society's behalf and laying down rules for it."