Russian Orthodox Church asks not to overblow scandal around slip of tongue on Karabakh

Hieromonk Phillip (Ryabykh), deputy head of the Department of Foreign Church Relations, believes that the reaction to his words, which caused misunderstanding in Azerbaijan about three temples of the Moscow Patriarchy working in Armenia, including one in Nagorno-Karabakh, is obviously "exaggerated".

Earlier, Father Phillip said has stated that the Moscow Patriarchy operates three churches in Armenia: one in Yerevan, one - in the Russian military base in the city of Gyumri, and the third one - in Nagorno-Karabakh (thus, referring Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia).

"We have good relations with the Moscow Patriarchy, but, unfortunately, the deputy head of the Department of Foreign Church Relations gave incorrect and haphazard information to media. I regret quite a lot about this statement of his," the "Vesti.az" Agency quotes Idayat Orudzhev, head of the State Committee on Religious Communities of Azerbaijan, as saying.

Hieromonk Phillip said in response to this that he would not like "one unverified mistake in the figure of speech, made for the reason of human tiredness, be regarded as a pretext for serious diplomatic actions," the "Gazeta.Ru" reports.