The head of the Russian Orthodox Church has decried gay relationship "propaganda" in Spanish secondary school textbooks.
Spain, which was one of the first European countries to legalize gay marriages in 2005, has seen a wave of criticism from parents whose children had to use books that teach pupils about gay relationships.
Some of the indignant parents are set to apply to the European Court of Human Rights.
The patriarch said the Orthodox Church "would never fail to call a sin a sin."
"I consider it very important to take into account the second article of the Protocol 1 of the European convention on human rights that stipulates that "the state shall respect the right of parents to ensure such education and teaching in conformity with their own religions and philosophical convictions," the patriarch said.
MOSCOW, October 13 (RIA Novosti)