XXIV meeting of the Secretariat of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions will be held in Kazakhstan on October 7

On October 7, the XXIV meeting of the Secretariat of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions will be held at the Palace of Peace and Accord in Astana (Kazakhstan). The large-scale forum will bring together representatives of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Shintoism, Baha'is, as well as heads of international organizations, statesmen and leading experts from 20 countries of the world. The meeting will be held under the leadership of the Vice-President of Kazakhstan, Chairman of the Secretariat of the Congress Yerlan Karin, sb.by correspondent reports.

The key topic of the agenda will be the consideration and adoption of two international documents, the development of which was initiated by the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at the VIII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in September 2025 and supported by its participants, including a delegation from Belarus. These include the Code of Ethics for the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Religion and the Role of Religions in Combating Climate Change.

We will remind, our country at the VIII Congress was represented by Metropolitan Benjamin of Minsk and Zaslavl, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus, as well as the first Vice-Rector of the Institute of Theology of BSU, Archpriest Sergius Movsesyan. In a comment to the journalist “SB. Belarus Today” on the eve of the XXIV meeting of the Secretariat, the priest stressed that, in particular, the use of neural networks should be actively discussed:

- The development of technological progress is inexorable: today it is marked by the emergence of artificial intelligence, robotization. Therefore, humanity is asking a logical question: how to make technical means not destructive, but beneficial. Some neural networks cause delight and a desire to use, to be in trend, others - fear and desire to distance themselves. There are many supporters and opponents of the use of artificial intelligence. In the Church, in the religious environment, this issue is also understood. Indeed, at the VIII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in Kazakhstan, the development of a corresponding document was proposed. In 2027, international Christmas educational readings will be held in the Russian Orthodox Church and regional readings in Belarus. The main leitmotif is the Christian doctrine of man and the challenges of modern technologies. It is hoped that such platforms will form a common idea of how to use artificial intelligence, so that it remains within those boundaries that will not interfere with the cause of human salvation.

Archpriest Sergius Movsesyan noted that artificial intelligence is primarily a means of achieving goals. But, unfortunately, sometimes it can turn into a human habitat:

- A person loses himself in the abundance of opportunities that neural networks provide. In this regard, there are different trends. We see that generated priests and preachers appear on the Internet. It should not be so, because in reality the priest is always a person, one who is the image and likeness of God. And in this sense, the priest, like any man, cannot be replaced by anyone and nothing. This substitution is not just a sin, but a fundamental violation of what we are called to do, to grow in our godlikeness. The task of the clergy is to teach people to use artificial intelligence so that it solves clear tasks, Archpriest Sergius is convinced. In addition, it is important to accustom parishioners to critical thinking, which will help not to succumb to manipulation, preserve human dignity and personality.

- The Institute of Theology of BSU has a discipline where we talk about artificial intelligence, teach how to use it, explain the boundaries of its application. We understand that young people are attracted to AI. But it is important not to play with this tool, the interlocutor concluded.

On the second issue on the agenda, religions do play an important role in the fight against climate change, as they can use their moral and ethical authority to mobilize billions of believers around the world.

THEME

One of the key points of discussion will be the Kazakh-Vatican initiative – the Charter of the Rights of a terminally ill child, based on the principles of respect for human dignity, comprehensive child care and family support. The document establishes the priority of protecting the dignity of the child, humane treatment of him, the right to necessary medical and psychological assistance and, if requested, support taking into account the religious and ideological needs of the child.