Moscow, May 5, Interfax - Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia has spoken about harassment of Christians in Europe.

“The phenomenon of Christianophobia is present not just in the Middle East. And what about Pakistan, Nigeria and several other African countries? And what about well-off European countries where people are not allowed to wear a cross when they go to work?” the patriarch said at a ceremony of receiving honorary doctorate from the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Diplomatic Academy.

The word “Christmas” is being replaced by “the winter holiday” and instead of the word “Easter” they simply say “the spring holiday,” he said.

The patriarch also pointed to the growing number of same-sex “marriages,” cases of euthanasia, and expressed concern over the cult of sensual pleasures, the rise of new false values, and people developing a sense of permissiveness.

“A man who lives without God has started perceiving himself as a measure of things, freedom has ceased being a conscientious responsible choice,” the patriarch said.