Patriarch Kirill called for the creation of youth missionary groups in higher educational institutions. He said this at a meeting of the Diocesan Council of Moscow, which took place on December 15.  The meeting was attended by vicar bishops, deans of church districts and chairmen of diocesan commissions.

During the meeting, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, commenting on individual speeches, shared, in particular, his thoughts on youth work in universities: 

"I would like to positively note the work in universities. It is a very difficult job, but here I am most interested not in statistics, but in the actual state of affairs. The fact is that the student audience is not the most favorable environment for church work right now. The reasons are known:secularization, a multitude of temptations, and mass culture are not just godless, but also in some sense anti—Christian; and it is always very difficult to go against the tide," His Holiness the Patriarch noted.

The Primate of the Church called for the creation of enthusiastic cells among students. According to His Holiness the Patriarch, the example of comrades can be much more convincing for students than the words of a priest.

Even the most talented and most dedicated priests will not be able to carry out such effective missionary work as young Orthodox activists. And, of course, this youth activist should be able to meet with the Patriarch.

"This should be our advanced missionary unit, because if the students themselves become active Orthodox Christians, then their words can be much more convincing to their university comrades than the words of a priest," Patriarch Kirill said.