Russian Orthodox Church Concerned

Patriarch Alexy II, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, is reportedly concerned with the increasingly large numbers of his countrymen becoming addicted to casino gambling and slot machines not only Russia, but in the other former Soviet republics as well. He addressed a congregation of roughly 3,000 at Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Savior, which included and Cardinal Roger Etchegaray and Archbishop Antonio Mennini, the Vatican’s envoy to Moscow, in February.   Among the topics discussed, slot machines and gambling ranked high.

'His concerns were that the Orthodox clergy are fighting a battle against compulsive gambling (and slot machines make gambling an easy way for the working class to gamble) among other social injustices that have taken over Russia and the other countries. The gambling industry has been steadily increasing over the past 16 years, an estimated 30-40% per year. There are no federal laws to regulate the business, and with 67,000 slot machines in Moscow alone, the patriarch feels something must be done immediately or his country will end up in ruin because of the slot machines and gambling.
 

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