The Church’s View on the Role of the Family in Society
Priests in their sermons must emphasize the role and significance of the traditional family, its strengthening, and the increase in childbirth.*According to the commandments of Scripture, the family is sacred, and its destruction is punished by God. Thanks be to God that our Old Believer Church today sets an example of strong, large families. Special mention should be made of the numerous families of the priests: Fr. Vadim Korovin (13 children), Fr. Ioann Kairov (12 children), Fr. Valentin Besshtannikov (12 children), Fr. Sergiy Bobkov (10 children), Fr. Alexei Losev (10 children), Fr. Alexander Pankratov (7 children), Deacon Ioann Oshin (7 children), and many others, whose families increase the ranks of our Church.
Report of Metropolitan Korniliy to the Holy Council, 2021
The Old Believer tradition firmly adheres to traditional understandings of the family, the roles of man and woman, and the defining responsibility of parents in raising children. Bearing and raising children in the Christian faith is a labor pleasing to God. The Holy Apostle Paul teaches that women are saved through childbearing and a pious life. Large families and the categorical rejection of abortion are distinguishing features of those who follow the ancient piety.
Resolution of the Worldwide Old Believer Forum, 2017
Christianity affirms that the family is a little Church. The family is a lawful union of two people, to whom God, in most cases, grants children. This small (and sometimes large) human community is united by mutual love, mutual responsibility, and mutual respect. It is important to understand that the decisive factor in this union is the mutuality of relationships. Any one-sided expressions of these relationships lead to imbalance in family life. Just as in the greater Church, all members of the family — the little Church — influence one another and complement one another. And this influence can be positive and constructive, or extremely negative and destructive. Parents, by their own behavior, shape the behavior of the child. There is a wise folk saying: “No matter how much you raise a child, he will still turn out like his parents.” Therefore, parents must first and foremost remember that raising a child in the family happens not through some modern pedagogical techniques, but primarily through the direct example of the parents’ own life.
The norms of relationships within the family are founded on mutual respect among all members, and on respect for each person’s individuality. Parents must speak with their adolescent children as much as possible and not allow them to withdraw into themselves. A good rule for parents is the obligation of at least two hours of daily conversation with their child. God has so ordered our nature that communication and conversation are what help to build contact and trust with any person. This is especially true in the relationship between parents and children. Healthy, well-structured relationships within the family help a young person to develop normal communication in new social groups — such as in schools and educational institutions.
Address of Metropolitan Korniliy at the Moscow International Education Fair, 2016
A strong, spiritually and physically healthy family, founded upon the authority of the older generation, has always been and remains the cornerstone of Christian society, a school for the upbringing of morally sound individuals. On the contrary, the undermining of family foundations leads to the extinction of the nation where this takes place. Those who broke the commandment of God to honor father and mother have disappeared from the face of the earth. We implore you to take all possible measures to ensure that the centuries-old tradition of family upbringing in the spirit of reverence for elders does not fall under threat of forced eradication.
Appeal of the Council of the Church, 2010, Against Juvenile Justice
If we desire the flourishing and growth of the Russian people, then all sound-minded forces — and especially Christians — must unite to protect themselves, and above all, their children, from the abomination of sinful corruption, defending traditional ideas and norms regarding family, marriage, morality, and decency.
Report to the Holy Council, 2013