Letters to Fanar: Lukashenko voices attempts to ruin Orthodoxy in Belarus
Alexander Lukashenko. Photo: belta.by
President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko announced attempts to “undermine Orthodoxy” in the republic. The video of the statement, voiced at a meeting with the clergy in the Zhirovichi monastery of the Belarusian Orthodox Church, was published by the pul_1 tg-channel.
“There are some episodes that are of fundamental importance for the existence of the Belarusian nation. One of them is an attempt to undermine Orthodoxy in Belarus, which we have been witnessing recently, and what we have recently discussed with our Patriarch (His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus – Ed.),” Lukashenko said.
He explained that this attempt is being carried out through the “tried and true method” – the announcement of autocephaly.
“Letters went to Constantinople, letters went to our Patriarch, and he told me about it, so even here we can already see this feeble effort. However, we must do everything to preserve our main dignity – interfaith peace – in Belarus,” stressed Alexander Lukashenko.
Earlier, the UOJ wrote that the head of the “autocephalous church” of Belarus declared anathema to Lukashenko.
Read also
Ostapenko: Everyone in UCCRO feels fine except the “FSB UOC”
The director of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve called the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches “a wonderful organization.”
Khmelnytskyi Eparchy donates funds for treatment of 12-year-old girl
UOC believers raised UAH 20,000 for Anastasiia Mamchur as part of an eparchial charity campaign.
Shevchuk: We had to convince world UOC ban does not violate religious freedom
The UGCC head claims that by banning the UOC, the state is not violating religious freedom but merely protecting the Church’s faithful from Moscow propaganda.
Lavra reserve head estimates damage to Dormition Cathedral at €15 million
Maksym Ostapenko said restoring the Dormition Cathedral would take at least a couple of years and require major funding.
DESS official says state should not govern the Church
A DESS official called for cooperation between the state and the Church for the benefit of citizens.
Poltava court upholds mobilization of Protestant pastor
A court in the Poltava region ruled that a prior criminal conviction and religious beliefs do not exempt a person from military service.