Authentic Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
from Orthodox Christian Doctrine

Holy Father | Roman-Ruthenian Curia | Liturgy

from the Office of His Apostolic Highness the Prince-Bishop of Rome-Ruthenia

10 February 2025

Read also about the Temporal Rights of the Church.

Illustration for Authentic Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

From an Orthodox, Apostolic, Catholic Christian standpoint, the true vision of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is firmly grounded in the teaching of Christ and the life of the Church, rather than in secular ideologies that often distort these concepts.Such secular distortions typically arise from the postmodern errors.

1. Diversity (Разнѡобразїе въ единствѣ - Difference within Unity)

The Holy Church of Christ embraces diversity, not as an end in itself, but as part of the Divine Order of Creation. The Apostle Paul makes this clear in 1 Corinthians 12:12-27, where he describes the Church as the Body of Christ, made up of many members with different roles, yet unified in Christ.

Diversity in the Church includes people from all nations, backgrounds, and social classes—Jews and Gentiles, rich and poor, men and women—united not by identity politics but by faith in Christ. True diversity is found in Christ, who calls all to repentance and transformation, rather than affirming people in any form of purely secular notion of identity. Even authentic expression of ethnic identity is an extension of this unity in Christ and the Divine Order of Creation.

The Church has always embraced national and cultural expressions—whether in Holy Rus’, Byzantium, or other nations and cultures built on faith—as part of God’s providence, provided they serve the higher reality of the Kingdom of Heaven. These identities are not ends in themselves but means of glorifying God through distinct liturgical traditions, iconography, and cultural expressions of faith. The Apostolic, Orthodox, and Catholic Church has always been diverse, spanning various cultures and ethnic groups while maintaining a single, united faith.

2. Equity (Правда Бжїа - The Justice of God)

Equity in an Orthodox sense is not about forced equal outcomes but rather is about true justice rooted in divine mercy and righteousness. Christ taught that God’s justice is not about worldly fairness, but about lifting up the lowly and humbling the proud (Luke 1:52).

In the early Church, this authentic form of equity was practiced through almsgiving, community care, and shared responsibility (Acts 4:32-35). The Church Fathers, such as St. John Chrysostom, emphasized that wealth and privilege must be used to care for the poor, but without coercion or class warfare. Indeed, the Church does not condemn wealth itself but rather the improper use of it. Throughout history, Apostolic, Orthodox, and Catholic Sovereigns lived with elegance and were expected to do so, yet they were also called to help build the Kingdom of God on earth care for the poor, and act as stewards of God's blessings. True Christian wealth is marked not by greed or self-indulgence but by a spirit of responsibility, generosity, and beauty that reflects the divine order rather than mere worldly vanity.

Thus, true equity in Orthodoxy is about spiritual equality before God, where all have the same opportunity for salvation, not artificial worldly redistribution or quotas.

3. Inclusion (Призванїе ко покаянїю - The Invitation to Repentance)

Inclusion, in an Orthodox sense, is not about uncritical acceptance of all beliefs or behaviors, but about welcoming all people in the hospitality of Christ, inviting them to repentance and transformation in Christ. Christ welcomes sinners not to affirm them in sin, but to heal them (John 8:11: "Go and sin no more").

The Church is a hospital for the soul, open to all, yet its purpose is spiritual healing, not the validation of secular ideologies divorced from Christian truth. As Christ said, He came “not to abolish the law, but to fulfill it.” Our Lord transforms lives through grace, not by affirming whatever the world momentarily deems proper.

True inclusion in the Apostolic, Orthodox, and Catholic Church is about unity in truth (Истина), not compromising the faith to accommodate the fleeting philosophies of the world. As the world conitnually changes its ways, the Holy Trinity and the Divine Truth remain the same. The Church’s mission is not to conform to society, but to call society to Christ.

Conclusion: True DEI is Found in Christ and His Church

The Apostolic, Orthodox, and Catholic Church has always lived out true diversity, equity, and inclusion by calling all people to holiness, serving the marginalized, and fostering a community where all are united in Christ. However, this is radically different from modern secular DEI, which often replaces spiritual transformation with identity politics and ever-shifting ideological conformity.