Metropolitan Hilarion: In our time, the Nobel Peace Prize often becomes a tool of political manipulation

A broad discussion has been aroused by the report that the chairman of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, Vyacheslav Volodin, came out for a possibility for the Nobel Peace Prize to be revoked in special cases, for instance, due to a possible breach of trust in case of crimes committed by prize-winners.

Metropolitan Hilarion, chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, on the air of the Church and World program, shared his opinion about this initiative and the significance of the Nobel Peace Prize itself in our time. He reminded the audience that originally the idea was to award those who help stop armed conflicts and bring peace to the Earth or, in a particular region, who defend fundamental human rights

“Gradually by now the Nobel Peace Prize in many cases has turned into a tool of political manipulation”, His Eminence Hilarion stated, “That is to say, the prize is awarded to those who did not make a contribution to the establishment of a lasting peace between nations, but to those who, for instance, adopted a political stand aimed to weaken the regime in a particular country. The further it goes the more questions are provoked by the Nobel Prize”.

At the same time, the DECR chairman noted that at present it is very difficult to imagine what a mechanism for revoking the international prize could be.

“Within a particular country, there can be a practice for depriving one of a state award if one committed a grave crime, such as high treason, and one’s awards can be revoked. I think the existence of such a mechanism on the international scale would be needed as well”, the archpastor concluded.

DECR Communication Service

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Metropolitan Hilarion: In our time, the Nobel Peace Prize often becomes a tool of political manipulation

Patriarch

Department Chairman

Sermons

Patriarch

Department Chairman

Sermons