Patriarch Kirill says the wealthy should share with those in need.
The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, warned that rich Russians who refuse to share their wealth with people in need are on their way to hell.
When the person who owns it is ready to give a significant part of his funds to those who are in need, Patriarch Kirill said during his Sunday service at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow.
In this case, the God will be helping him to increase his material possessions, while the people won't envy those riches and won't see their owner as an enemy, he insisted.
May God grant that our Russian rich people, who were born in an Orthodox country and many of whom have links with the Church, always understand this, the Patriarch said.
But if a person with a lot of money is unable to help those who need it, that is the way to hell and there is nothing else to say, Kirill explained.
He cited words of Jesus from the Bible, who said it was hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. If a rich person is unable to see the suffering of a fellow human being and doesn't help, it is clearly a path away from God, away from Christ and his kingdom. The more money one has, the more responsibility it rests on his shoulders for his earthly existence, the leader of the church told worshippers.