In December 2020, Russian Orthodox Church revealed a change in the institution’s stance on abortion abortion.
Vladimir Legoyda, main spokesperson for Russian Orthodox Church, commented on the topic of abortion in a TV interview in RTVI, a New York-based Russian-language channel aimed at expats. According to Legodya, the institution insists on changing the status of abortion in Russian health insurance system:
“We are taking a softer and more flexible position in this case: we demand [abortion] be withdrawn from the compulsory health insurance fund,â€Â he said. The Compulsory Medical Insurance Fund is a public program of providing free medical care country-wide.
Solution proposed by the Church would still impact multiple Russians, as the need to pay for the procedure would make it inaccessible for a large number of patients in need of the procedure.
Russian Orthodox Church has been known for supporting a blanket ban on abortion in the country, with Patriarch Kiril, head of the Church, openly stating “We must first of all remove the topic of abortion to the extent that it exists” back in 2019.
