"In my view, the Hagiographies need to be included in humanities programs," the Patriarch pointed out Sunday at a Kremlin Palace ceremony opening the 12th International Christmas Educational Readings.
Alexis II said this year's Orthodox educational forum was to commemorate the heroism of saint martyrs and confessors and to evaluate its significance for the nation.
Addressing the gathering, Education Minister Vladimir Filippov said, for his part, that the new secondary-school program for literature left more time for extracurricular activities and that schoolchildren could use it to read the Hagiographies. "Russian education has always been based on Christian values," Filippov remarked, saying he was determined to continue work toward greater accessibility of school courses on Orthodox Christian tradition.
