American evangelist Franklin Graham called to pray for Putin
Last Updated on Friday, 16 December 2016 19:21
The head of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and international Christian relief organization "Samaritan's Purse
" Franklin Graham during a meeting in Moscow with Patriarch Kirill urged the faithful to pray for the president of Russia Vladimir Putin.
"In the West we see the moral decay of the Church and we are very concerned about it. We see the Church all over the country different religious affiliation who rent out their positions under the pressure of secularism and liberalism "- said Graham. He said that "in the days of communism, we were worried that the world would be godless," Tass reports.
"I am very concerned about the moral decay of youth around the world," - said the patriarch Graham, expressing hope to work together to counter this process.
"We need to raise the issue of the persecution of Christians by terrorists" Islamic state "to the level of higher and attract the attention of not only the heads of the world's countries, but to engage in this dialogue the whole Church throughout the world", - he said, proposing to hold in Moscow a large-scale international conferences and "to discuss how we can support the Christians in countries where they are experiencing harassment."
Graham also said that Christians in the United States are praying for the welfare of Russian President Vladimir Putin. "We must pray for the politicians, for Christians around the world. I pray and call on the faithful to pray for Russian President Vladimir Putin. It is a huge country, which God blessed and gave him (the president) the necessary wisdom, "- said Graham.
Franklin Graham is visiting Russia for the first time and will stay in Moscow until November 1. He intends to give a press conference to meet with the US Ambassador to Russia John Tefft, State Secretary, Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin, the chairman of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Russia, Archbishop Paolo Pezzi, and the heads of traditional Protestant churches in Russia.