English

Belarusian Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter

Easter services were held in Orthodox Christian churches across Belarus on April 27 as the denomination celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ, BelaPAN reports.

In his Easter address to the clergy and laity, Minsk and Slutsk Metropolitan Filaret, head of the Belarusian Exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church, called on them to be “inspired by the unusual uplift that Christian toilers felt” in the 1980s, referring to the revival of religion in the Soviet Union.

Noting that the 1020th anniversary of the Christianization of Kievan Rus is celebrated in 2008, Metropolitan Filaret urged the faithful to “keep your happiness about the resurrection of Christ during all days and moments of your life, bring it to people and share its fruits with them generously.”

Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, Belarus’ top Catholic cleric, sent his Easter greetings to Patriarch Aleksy II, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Filaret and Russian Orthodox Church archbishops.

Alyaksandr Lukashenka also greeted Belarus’ Orthodox Christians on the religious festival. “Today, just like thousands years ago, the resurrection of Christ is an eternal symbol of the triumph of life, kindness and justice,” official information sources quoted him as saying.

“The special, unmatched happiness brought by the holy festival overwhelms millions of believers across the entire Orthodox Christian world, helps share the values and ideals of Christianity, gives a feeling of spiritual liberation and renewal,” he said. “The spring Easter days bring love and concord to our families, call for doing good deeds, caring for the family and close people, being merciful to strangers.”

The Belarusian Exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church controls 11 eparchies and 28 monasteries and nunneries. There are 1,248 Orthodox temples in the country and 155 more are under construction. As many as 1,472 priests conduct worship. The number of Orthodox parishes has reached 1,431. The Exarchate runs five theological schools, including the Zhyrovichy Theological Academy and Zhyrovichy Theological Seminary, 14 brotherhoods and nine sisterhoods. Theological education is provided by the Theological Institute of Belarusian State University and at Pyotr Masheraw State University in Vitsyebsk.