Patriarch Kirill Calls For Ban On 'Inducement' To Abortion In Russia

The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, has called for the adoption at federal level of a law banning the "inducement" of women to have abortions that was previously adopted by local authorities in two regions. "It's a huge country, but the population is completely insufficient. We need more people," Kirill said, speaking at the plenary congress of the Russian Orthodox Church, adding that "if you learn to dissuade women from committing abortion, the [birthrate] will immediately go up." Legislation prohibiting the "inducement" to abortion was adopted this year by the Mordovia and Tver regions. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here.