Moscow, March 6, 2023
St. Tikhon’s Orthodox University for the Humanities. Photo: smapse.com
Last week, OrthoChristian reported that a lawsuit has been brought against an Orthodox university in Moscow as it refuses to issue a new diploma with a new name for a female graduate who now considers herself a male.
Archpriest Maxim Kozlov, the Chairman of the Russian Church’s Educational Committee, said that he supports the decision of the university administration.
Initially, the specific university wasn’t named, but on Friday, Archpriest Vladimir Vorobyov offered comments to TASS that revealed that the school involved is St. Tikhon’s Orthodox University for the Humanities (established in 1992 with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Alexei II), where he serves as rector.
“Our university is Orthodox, and we accept baptized people. You know that in Baptism, people are given a name, and it’s under this name that we know and teach them,” Fr. Vladimir said.
“And now she has changed her name, so the question arises, who is this person she calls herself, what kind of person—baptized or unbaptized? Did we teach him? No, we didn’t teach this person; we don’t know this person,” the rector continued.
“How can we give her our diploma—the diploma of an Orthodox university?” he asked rhetorically.
Fr. Vladimir also emphasized that the Orthodox Church is categorically against sex changes, and an Orthodox university certainly can’t support it.
“These are unnatural things, why drag us into this? We see it just as some kind of provocation… I will act according to my conscience. Not because I want to make trouble for someone—I have to protect my university, you know? Otherwise, what will they say: Does an Orthodox university recognize all such cases?!” explained Fr. Vladimir.
According to the rector, when the girl was accepted into the school, she was a religious person, but then “something happened” to her.
“It’s probably better to give the diploma of an Orthodox university to an Orthodox person. She was a girl, and now who should we give the diploma to?” Fr. Vladimir concluded.
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