Vladimir Kolesov, a graduate of the Nizhniy Novgorod diocese who is continuing his formation at the Fu Jen [Roman] Catholic University (天主教辅仁大学, Tiānzhǔjiào Fǔrén Dàxué) in Taiwan, has clarified the opinion he stated in the interview on the Nizhniy Novgorod site, that there is no possibility to preach Orthodoxy in China. On December 17, the Blagoviest-Info agency published these words of Vladimir Kolesov, citing material on the Nizhniy Novgorod Diocesan site.
On December 21, Portal Credo.Ru's forum published the following explicit statement: "I consider it my duty to explain that the journalist's concrete question pertained to my activity -- the question sounded thus: 'Are you planning to preach in China?' Therefore, in my reply I should have spoken concretely about myself, which I did at the end of the reply. In that case, I recognize my error in transferring the subject at issue from myself to the situation of Orthodoxy in China. In this case I recognize the truth of the words of Christ the Savior: 'Let what you say be simply Yes, yes or No, no; anything more than this comes from evil.' (Mat. 5:37), and I retract my words appraising the possibility of preaching in China. I think, in the near future they will be removed from the interview. On my part, I express gratitude to the editors of Blagovest-Info, for pointing out the error in my reasoning".
On December 21, Vladimir Kolesov's answer, in the interview on the Nizhniy Novgorod Diocesan site, to the question: "Are you planning to preach in China?", has been changed in accordance to the corrections sent by Vladimir, reports the press service of the Nizhniy Novgorod diocesan administration.