“He would always say: your homeland is where you serve. And he proved with his whole life that Belarus was his destiny, his Fatherland. We were his huge beloved family,” the president said at a ceremony to unveil the monument.
The head of state noted that Metropolitan Filaret devoted much effort to the revival of churches, parishes, monasteries and convents, and theological education. It was with his blessing that the Holy Scripture was translated into the Belarusian language; a holiday was instituted in honor of the Synaxis of Belarusian Saints. Back in the Cold War period the metropolitan raised his voice in support of patriotism, anti-fascism, spoke against the use of nuclear weapons and the arms race.
“He would use national and international platforms, mass media to make a clear point that the price paid by the Soviet people for victory in the Great Patriotic War was too high, and therefore peace is the greatest blessing for us,” the president stressed. “I am convinced that being in heaven, next to the patron saints of Belarus, he prays for peace and harmony on our beautiful land.”
How Catholics prepare for Christmas celebrations
Catholicism is the second largest religion in Belarus by the number of believers. Almost 1.5 million Catholics live in the country. The Bethlehem Light was traditionally delivered to Belarus on 20 December. However, this year it did not come from Bethlehem because of the armed conflict in the Middle East. The flame was kept by Austrian scouts for a whole year. This fire is a symbol of undying faith. And today Catholics celebrate Christmas.
“When we hear such words as Christmas, our hearts are filled with joy. Christmas is a family holiday; it is a great opportunity to enjoy time with loved ones. Christmas is first of all about the spirituality. During the four weeks of Advent before Christmas, we ask God to purify our hearts, so that He may allow us to accept the newly born Jesus Christ with a pure soul,” said Priest Yuri Yasevich, press secretary of the Conference of Catholic Bishops in Belarus.
Preparations for the holiday are not only about fasting, decorating the Christmas Tree, and cleaning the house. First of all, it is about cleansing our souls and hearts. On Christmas Eve, families gather at the vigil table. Traditionally, believers prepare twelve Lenten dishes, including kissel, kutia, fried fish, mushrooms, poppy seed pies, and place hay under the tablecloth. People share the oplatka [Christmas wafer] regarded as a symbol of reconciliation and love. Then they go to church to attend service.
“The celebration continues with the Eucharist that is meant to accept Jesus not only symbolically through an emotional experience, but also to accept him as a real person. After that some go visit their parents, or go back home, or visit friends and loved ones, people rejoice, smile and share the joy of the birth of Christ with each other,” Priest Yuri Yasevich said.
What gift Lukashenko gave to the Pope in 2016
Aleksandr Lukashenko and Pope Francis met at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican in May 2016. They discussed the development of relations between Minsk and the Roman Catholic Church. The meeting between Aleksandr Lukashenko and Pope Francis lasted for about 40 minutes. Most of the time the president and the Pope communicated one-on-one.
“For our country, the Vatican is a special partner in international dialogue. We have developed exceptional mutual understanding and trust with the leaders of the Roman Catholic Church and personally with His Holiness Pope Francis,” the head of state stressed at the ceremony to receive credentials from foreign ambassadors in December 2016.
Aleksandr Lukashenko presented the Pope with a holographic icon, a replica of the cross of Euphrosyne of Polotsk and a carriage mock-up. The gifts were made in the unique Belarusian Sozh technique. By the way, the works of Gomel artisans are well-known in many countries.
“The Sozh technique is unique and is practiced only in Gomel. I like the process of creating new unusual things. Different from others. Not everyone can do it. It takes a lot of patience, discipline and imagination. I like to create. I don’t get tired. I can work for 10 to 12 hours a day. Sometimes I get so absorbed into the process that I lose track of time and do not get tired. Then two hours of sleep is enough for me,” Svetlana Krasovskaya, a Sozh technique specialist, said.
Belarus and the Holy See established diplomatic relations on 11 November 1992. The Apostolic Nunciature operates in Minsk.
“It is easy for me to talk to you as a representative of the religious confession, one of the main confessions in Belarus, because our views – the views of the leadership of Belarus and the Vatican – virtually coincide, especially on security issues. Security in Europe. The positions on the matter are absolutely consonant. The conflict in Ukraine, where we have almost the same stance on, testifies to the fact,” the president said as he met with outgoing Apostolic Nuncio to Belarus Ante Jozic in August 2024.
“I speak a lot of positive things about your country, especially about the Church as a good example for Europe and the entire world. I have seen here important family values, moral values that we do not see in the West,” Ante Jozic told the media after the meeting with the Belarusian president.
When Muslims came to Belarus
Muslims came to Belarus in the 14th century. Now there are six mosques and two houses of worship in the country. Among them is the Cathedral Mosque in Minsk, which was officially opened in November 2016.
“Belarus has long been known for its traditions of religious tolerance, mutual respect between people of different confessions and ethnicities. This is our pride, this is our strength, this is our resilience,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said at the mosque opening ceremony.
“Belarus is a peace-loving country. We value peace and quiet. That is why we build temples for all willing confessions. We adhere to one principle: any citizen of our country has the right to have their place of worship. No one has the right to force them to act differently. That is why today we are opening this great temple, which will not just be a home for Muslims, but will make a huge contribution to the development of the culture of our Belarus,” the president said.
Aleksandr Lukashenko and Recep Tayyip Erdogan cut a symbolic ribbon at the front entrance to the mosque. The Belarusian president called the mosque “a symbol of interfaith harmony”. In turn, the Turkish president praised the peaceful coexistence of different denominations in Belarus.
“Muslims have never posed problems to us. I often say that almost 100% of Muslims always supported the government and me as president at all elections. We will never repeat the words that the French president said recently about the freedom of speech and religious feelings. Did he really expect to get popularity points by criticizing Muslims. Maybe, he needs mediators between him and Muslims? I can help him with it because I have very good relations with Muslims. But I am absolutely against interfering with religious matters. I will never throw stones at believers. My position has always been like that: every person needs to find their own road to church,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he met with Metropolitan of Minsk and Zaslavl Veniamin, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus in November 2020.