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Belarusian Orthodox Church

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Belarusian Exarchate of the Moscow Patriarchate
Беларускі Экзархат Маскоўскага Патрыярхата
Белорусский Экзархат Московского Патриархата
The Holy Spirit Cathedral in Minsk
ClassificationChristian
OrientationEastern Orthodox
ScriptureSeptuagint, New Testament
TheologyEastern Orthodox theology
PolityEpiscopal
MetropolitanBenjamin Tupieka
Bishops17 (2024)
Parishes1,737 (2024)
Priests1,676 (2019)
Dioceses15 (2024)
Monasteries36 (2024)
Language
HeadquartersHoly Spirit Cathedral, Minsk
Territory Belarus
Origin16 October 1989[1] (autonomy granted by the Moscow Patriarchate)
RecognitionRecognised as part of the Russian Orthodox Church
Members81% of the Belarusian Christian population, according to own claims[2]
Official websitechurch.by

The Belarusian Orthodox Church[a] (BOC; Belarusian: Беларуская праваслаўная царква, romanized: Bielaruskaja pravaslaŭnaja carkva, Russian: Белорусская православная церковь, romanized: Belorusskaya pravoslavnaya tserkov',) is the official name of the exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church in Belarus.[3] It represents the union of Russian Orthodox eparchies in the territory of Belarus and is the largest religious organization in the country, uniting the predominant majority of its Eastern Orthodox Christians.

Bishop Vienijamin (Vital Tupieka) became the Patriarchal Exarch of the Belarusian Orthodox Church in 2020.[4]

The church enjoys a much lower degree of autonomy than the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which received a tomos of independence and self-governance from the Patriarch of Moscow in 1990, and declared its own full autonomy and independence from the Russian Orthodox Church in 2022.

The Belarusian Orthodox Church strongly opposes the minor and largely emigration-based Belarusian Autocephalous Orthodox Church.

Structure

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The Belarusian Exarchate serves as the national territorial organization of the Russian Orthodox Church. Its head, the Exarch, is elected by the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church. The Exarch proposes the appointment of bishops, which requires approval of the Holy Synod, and the establishment of new eparchies, which requires approval of the Bishops' Council.[5]

As of 2024, the Belarusian Orthodox Church includes 1,737 Orthodox parishes, organized into 15 eparchies. It also oversees 6 theological educational institutions, 36 monasteries, 15 brotherhoods, 9 sisterhoods, and 1 mission. In terms of places of worship, 1,878 Orthodox churches are active, with another 147 currently under construction.[6] The BOC's episcopate includes 17 bishops, of whom one is retired and two are Vicar Bishops. Metropolitan Benjamin oversees two eparchies.[7]

As of 2020, the Belarusian Orthodox Church was organized into 15 eparchies:

Structure of the BOC in 2020
Eparchy Parishes Monasteries Priests Deacons Region Year established
Turov[8] 77 2 76 5 Gomel 1992
Slutsk[9] 105 1 75 6 Minsk 2014
Polotsk[10] 111 2 56 5 Vitebsk 1992
Pinsk[11] 183 1 184 7 Brest 1989
Novogrudok[12] 59 3 70 6 Grodno 1992
Molodechno[13] 117 0 76 4 Minsk 2014
Mogilev[14] 80 2 77 8 Mogilev 1989
Minsk[15] 96 5 237 52 City of Minsk 1793
Lida[16] 46 0 39 1 Minsk 2014
Grodno[17] 103 0 120 9 Grodno 1992
Gomel[18] 159 4 175 16 Gomel 1990
Vitebsk[19] 185 6 150 47 Vitebsk 1992
Brest[20] 203 4 210 20 Brest 1990
Borisov[21] 120 3 101 9 Minsk 2014
Bobruisk[22] 58 2 55 5 Mogilev 2004
Total 1702 35 1701 200

Belarusian law establishes three tiers for registered religious groups. A religious community needs at least 20 adults from the same or adjacent areas. Religious associations require at least 10 communities, one of which must have been active for 20 years. National religious associations are recognized if they encompass active communities in at least four of Belarus's six oblasts.[23]

Number of the BOC religious communities over time[24][25][23]
1991 1996 2005 2010 2015 2020 2024
603 938 1,315 1,509 1,643 1,709 1,737

Exarchs

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No. Portrait Primate Term Notes
Took office Left office Duration
1 Philaret
Kirill Varfolomeyevich Vakhromeyev
(1935-2021)[26] 		16 October 1989 25 December 2013 24 years, 2 months and 9 days Hero of Belarus (2006)
2 Paul
Georgiy Vasilevich Ponomaryov
(born 1951)[27] 		25 December 2013 25 August 2020 6 years and 8 months
3 Benjamin
Vital Ivanavič Tupieka
(born 1968)[28] 		25 August 2020 Incumbent 4 years, 9 months and 22 days First ethnically Belarusian exarch

Criticism and controversies

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In a statement from 2023, the exiled Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic accused the Belarusian Orthodox Church of failing to condemn violence in Belarus following the 2020–2021 Belarusian protests and of interfering in the affairs of other Christian churches and thereby being "the main source of inter-religious tension in Belarus".[29] The Rada characterised the church as "a Russian colonial institution" and "one of the ideological pillars of A. Lukashenka's regime".[29][non-primary source needed]

In 2022 and 2023, the Orthodox St Elisabeth Convent in Minsk has been holding public events supporting the Russian invasion of Ukraine[30] and raised funds to support Russian troops.[31][32] The convent has also been involved in promoting homophobia,[33][34] and other controversies.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Officially known as Byelorussian Orthodox Church.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Устав Республиканского религиозного объединения "Белорусская Православная Церковь" "Белорусский Экзархат Московского Патриархата"" [Statute of the Republican Religious Association "Belarusian Orthodox Church" "Belarusian Exarchate of the Moscow Patriarchate"] (in Russian). Archived from the original on 23 February 2025. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  2. ^ "Белорусский экзархат - 30 лет истории / Интервью / Патриархия.ru".
  3. ^ Zaprudnik, Jan (27 August 2003). "Belarus: in search of national identity between 1986 and 2000". In Korosteleva, Elena; Lawson, Colin; Marsh, Rosalind (eds.). Contemporary Belarus: Between Democracy and Dictatorship. London: Routledge (published 2003). p. 119. ISBN 9781135789480. Retrieved 2 June 2021. Orthodox Christian believers are organised in the Belarusian Orthodox Church (BOC), since 1989 an exarchate [...].
  4. ^ ВЕНИАМИН, МИТРОПОЛИТ МИНСКИЙ И ЗАСЛАВСКИЙ, ПАТРИАРШИЙ ЭКЗАРХ ВСЕЯ БЕЛАРУСИ - "Решением Священного Синода от 25 августа 2020 г. (журнал № 46) назначен Патриаршим Экзархом всея Беларуси, митрополитом Минским и Заславским, с сохранением временного управления Борисовской епархией.
    Возведен в сан митрополита Святейшим Патриархом Московским и всея Руси Кириллом 6 сентября 2020 г. за Божественной литургией в кафедральном соборном Храме Христа Спасителя в городе Москве."
  5. ^ "Устав Русской Православной Церкви" [Statute of the Russian Orthodox Church]. patriarchia.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 9 February 2025. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  6. ^ "Информация о конфессиональной ситуации в Республике Беларусь" [Information on the Confessional Situation in the Republic of Belarus]. belarus21.by (in Russian). Archived from the original on 20 April 2025. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  7. ^ "Члены Синода" [Members of the Synod]. church.by (in Russian). Archived from the original on 3 December 2024. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  8. ^ "Туровское епархиальное управление" [Turov Eparchy Administration]. church.by (in Russian). Archived from the original on 20 September 2020.
  9. ^ "Слуцкое епархиальное управление" [Slutsk Eparchy Administration] (in Russian). Archived from the original on 21 October 2020.
  10. ^ "Полоцкое епархиальное управление" [Polotsk Eparchy Administration]. church.by (in Russian). Archived from the original on 20 September 2020.
  11. ^ "Пинское епархиальное управление" [Pinsk Eparchy Administration]. church.by (in Russian). Archived from the original on 20 September 2020.
  12. ^ "Новогрудское епархиальное управление" [Novogrudok Eparchy Administration]. church.by (in Russian). Archived from the original on 12 April 2021.
  13. ^ "Молодечненское епархиальное управление" [Molodechno Eparchy Administration]. church.by (in Russian). Archived from the original on 20 September 2020.
  14. ^ "Могилевское епархиальное управление" [Mogilev Eparchy Administration]. church.by (in Russian). Archived from the original on 20 September 2020.
  15. ^ "Епархия сегодня" [The Eparchy Today]. church.by (in Russian). Archived from the original on 14 August 2020.
  16. ^ "Лидское епархиальное управление" [Lida Eparchy Administration]. church.by (in Russian). Archived from the original on 15 August 2020.
  17. ^ "Гродненская епархия" [Eparchy of Grodno]. church.by (in Russian). Archived from the original on 24 September 2020.
  18. ^ "Гомельская епархия" [Eparchy of Gomel]. church.by (in Russian). Archived from the original on 24 September 2020.
  19. ^ "Витебское епархиальное управление" [Vitebsk Eparchy Administration]. church.by (in Russian). Archived from the original on 20 September 2020.
  20. ^ "Брестское епархиальное управление" [Brest Eparchy Administration]. church.by (in Russian). Archived from the original on 20 September 2020.
  21. ^ "Борисовское епархиальное управление" [Borisov Eparchy Administration]. church.by (in Russian). Archived from the original on 21 October 2020.
  22. ^ "Бобруйское епархиальное управление" [Bobruisk Eparchy Administration]. church.by (in Russian). Archived from the original on 19 January 2021.
  23. ^ a b "2020 Report on International Religious Freedom: Belarus". United States Department of State. Archived from the original on 30 April 2025. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
  24. ^ "Сведения о количественном росте религиозных общин в Республике Беларусь (1988-01.01.2012 гг.)". Archived from the original on 2012-12-06. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
  25. ^ "Belarus 2015 International Religious Freedom Report" (PDF). United States Department of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 August 2017. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  26. ^ "Путь служения. Биография митрополита Филарета (Вахромеева)" [The Path of Service. Biography of Metropolitan Filaret (Vakhromeyev)]. church.by (in Russian). Archived from the original on 17 December 2024. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  27. ^ "Митрополит Минский и Заславский Павел, Патриарший Экзарх всея Беларуси" [Metropolitan Pavel of Minsk and Zaslavl, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus]. church.by (in Russian). Archived from the original on 23 February 2025. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  28. ^ "Вениамин, Митрополит Минский и Заславский, Патриарший Экзарх всея Беларуси" [Benjamin, Metropolitan of Minsk and Zaslavl, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus]. church.by (in Russian). Archived from the original on 3 May 2025. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  29. ^ a b THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH IS THE MAIN SOURCE OF INTERRELIGIOUS TENSION IN BELARUS - STATEMENT OF BNR RADA - BNR Rada official website, 7 July 2023
  30. ^ У Свята-Елізавецінскім манастыры правялі Z-канцэрт. На сцэне былі партрэты «Матаролы», Захарчанкі, Пушыліна [A Z-concert held in the St Elisabeth Convent. Portraits of Motorola, Zakharchenko and Pushilin were on the stage] - Nasha Niva, 18 June 2023
  31. ^ У Польшчы працягваецца збор галасоў супраць гандлю менскага Свята-Елізавецінскага манастыра [Signatures are being collected in Poland against St Elisabeth Convent participation in trade fairs] - Radio Racyja
  32. ^ «Хрысьціянская візія»: З красавіка Сьвята-Лізавецінскі манастыр мог паўдзельнічаць у набыцьці 7 аўтамабіляў для расейскіх вайскоўцаў [St Elisabeth Convent may possibly participated in acquiring seven vehicles for Russian troops] - Radio Svaboda, 16 August 2023
  33. ^ Galkovskaya, Anna (10 March 2020). ""Гэта крык сэрца і душы бацькоў". Подведены итоги сбора подписей против ЛГБТ-пропаганды" ['This is the cry of parents' heart and soul'. The results of collection of signatures against LGBT propaganda have been drawn]. Пролайф Беларусь (in Russian). Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  34. ^ Vaitovich, Maryia (27 March 2020). "Over 52K signatures under controversial appeal for 'LGBT propaganda ban'". euroradio.fm. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
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