Patriarchal representative also calls for abortion inducing drugs to be banned.

The Patriarchal Commission on Family, Motherhood and Childhood Protection of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) proposes to introduce criminal penalties for inducing or forcing a woman to perform an abortion in clinics. Priest Fyodor Lukyanov, representing the Church, addressed a crowd of pediatricians at a recent medical forum.

"It is necessary to provide for punishment for inducing abortion,” he said. He also promoted toughening the law against non-doctors inducing an abortion by increasing the maximum amount of fines from the current 80 thousand rubles to 150 thousand rubles, and the jail term from two to five years.  

Complaining that currently the concept of a illegal or criminal abortion is not well defined in Russian law, Father Fyodor proposed, 

The legal concept of' criminal abortion ' should be developed with the participation of representatives of state bodies, with the involvement of experts from religious organizations, and with reference to the scientific works of modern researchers in the field of biology, medicine, and philology.

He explains that criminal abortion should be understood as the performance of operations for artificial termination of pregnancy by people without appropriate medical education, outside medical institutions, methods and means not approved by the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, as well as in cases of non-compliance with the terms of abortion for medical or social reasons. 

He added that it is well known that this sort of abortion occurs in private medical clinics, at least 70% of which provided no pre-procedural counseling and advising of the women about the negative effects of abortion. 

He also stated that the ROC is categorically against the retail sale of medical abortion products and wish them banned. "It is necessary to prohibit the retail sale of emergency contraception and oral abortion products, the so-called medical abortion products-mifepristone derivatives and other drugs,” he said, citing Chinese research indicating danger to the life and health of women, as well as serious infertility risks in the future.

This is symphonia in action, whereby the Church, although apolitical, advises and guides the State in what is best for the spiritual wellbeing of the people. Although the scourge of abortion has not been ended in Russia, rates continue to fall, and in fact, from 2013 to 2021 the number of yearly abortions in Russia dropped from 1 million to about 400,000, which is progress, at least. Obviously, a figure of zero is to be preferred, but with the State and Church working together on the issue as Russia continues its march to the right, who knows what the future can bring?