State and church share common concerns - Rinkevics

RIGA - The Constitution stipulates the separation of church and state, yet there are several areas where the state and church share common concerns, such as the preservation of the nation's sacred heritage, President Edgars Rinkevics emphasized during a meeting with leaders of Latvia's largest Christian denominations at Riga Castle on Thursday.

The meeting focused on the dialog between the state and the church, including the role and influence of religious organizations in promoting social cohesion and unity, as well as everyday issues faced by different Christian denominations in Latvia.

Latvia is a multi-ethnic and multi-confessional country, but thanks to its tradition of ecumenism and the peaceful coexistence of different denominations, Latvia serves as an example for other countries worldwide, said Rinkevics. In his opinion, Latvian society is also diverse and pluralistic, where each individual has the right to exercise freedom of conscience and religion, as well as to freely determine their attitude toward religion.

"Therefore it is important for me to hear the opinions of the leaders of Latvia's largest Christian denominations on issues that concern both the relations between the state and the church and matters that affect believers of different Christian communities," Rinkevics said after the meeting.

Rinkevics today met with Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia Archbishop Rinalds Grants, Roman Catholic Church in Latvia Archbishop Zbignevs Stankevics, Latvian Orthodox Church Metropolitan Alexander, the Central Council of the Old Believers' Church of Latvia Chairman Vladimirs Ivanovs, and the Union of Baptist Churches in Latvia Bishop Kaspars Sterns.