The Catholic Church in
Belarus
Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by ...
is part of the worldwide
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
, under the spiritual leadership of the
Pope
The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
in
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
. The first
Latin Rite
Latin liturgical rites, or Western liturgical rites, are Catholic rites of public worship employed by the Latin Church, the largest particular church '' sui iuris'' of the Catholic Church, that originated in Europe where the Latin language once ...
diocese in Belarus was established in
Turaŭ
Turov (, russian: Туров, lt, Turava, uk, Ту́рів, pl, Turów, yi, טוראָוו, Turov) is a town in the Zhytkavichy District of Gomel Region of Belarus and the former capital of the medieval Principality of Turov and Pinsk.
His ...
between 1008 and 1013. Catholicism was a traditionally dominant religion of Belarusian
nobility
Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The character ...
(the
szlachta) and of a large part of the population of West Belarus.
Description
As of 2015, there are 674,500 Catholics in the country, about 7.1% of the total population.
Most of these belong to the
Latin Rite
Latin liturgical rites, or Western liturgical rites, are Catholic rites of public worship employed by the Latin Church, the largest particular church '' sui iuris'' of the Catholic Church, that originated in Europe where the Latin language once ...
dioceses. A small minority are of
Byzantine Rite, forming the particular
Belarusian Greek Catholic Church, which is in union with the
Holy See
The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of R ...
and follows the Byzantine
Slavonic ritual.
Polish
Polish may refer to:
* Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe
* Polish language
* Poles
Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...
and
Lithuanian minorities in Belarus are predominantly Latin-Rite Catholics. The Greek Catholics are mostly ethnic
Belarusians, with some
Ukrainians
Ukrainians ( uk, Українці, Ukraintsi, ) are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine. They are the seventh-largest nation in Europe. The native language of the Ukrainians is Ukrainian. The majority of Ukrainians are Eastern Ort ...
.
History
The first
Latin Rite
Latin liturgical rites, or Western liturgical rites, are Catholic rites of public worship employed by the Latin Church, the largest particular church '' sui iuris'' of the Catholic Church, that originated in Europe where the Latin language once ...
diocese in Belarus was established in
Turaŭ
Turov (, russian: Туров, lt, Turava, uk, Ту́рів, pl, Turów, yi, טוראָוו, Turov) is a town in the Zhytkavichy District of Gomel Region of Belarus and the former capital of the medieval Principality of Turov and Pinsk.
His ...
between 1008 and 1013.
Catholicism was a traditionally dominant religion of Belarusian
nobility
Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The character ...
(the
szlachta) and of a large part of the population of western and northwestern parts of Belarus.
There was once an archbishopric in
Polotsk
Polotsk (russian: По́лоцк; be, По́лацк, translit=Polatsk (BGN/PCGN), Polack (official transliteration); lt, Polockas; pl, Połock) is a historical city in Belarus, situated on the Dvina River. It is the center of the Polotsk Dist ...
. St.
Josaphat Kuntsevych
Josaphat Kuntsevych, OSBM ( – 12 November 1623) was a Basilian monks, Basilian monk and eparch, archeparch of the Ruthenian Uniate Church, Ruthenian Catholic Church who on 12 November 1623 was killed by an angry mob in Vitebsk, in the ...
was archbishop from 1618 to 1623, succeeding another archbishop.
In August 2020, the leader of the Roman Catholic church in Belarus
Tadevuš Kandrusievič
Tadevuš Kandrusievič ( be, Тадэвуш Кандрусевіч; pl, Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz; born 3 January 1946) is a Belarusian prelate of the Catholic Church who served as Archbishop of Minsk–Mohilev from 2007 to 2021. He has been a bish ...
was banned from returning to Belarus from Poland for several months after condemning violence during the
mass protests.
He was forced to resign soon after the return 5 months later.
[Карикатура, которая будет дорого стоить: как белорусский режим делает из католиков врагов. Мнение]
/ref> In July 2021, Alexander Lukashenko
Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko (as transliterated from Russian; also transliterated from Belarusian as Alyaksand(a)r Ryhoravich Lukashenka;, ; rus, Александр Григорьевич Лукашенко, Aleksandr Grigoryevich Luk ...
tried to intervene in the prayer schedule warning Catholic priests not to perform the religious song " The Almighty God" ( be, Магутны Божа).[Смотрите, нарветесь – Лукашенко предостерег от молитвы под «Магутны Божа»]
/ref> In September 2021, ''Minskaya Pravda'' (an official newspaper of Minsk Oblast
Minsk Region or Minsk Oblast or Minsk Voblasts ( be, Мі́нская во́бласць, ''Minskaja voblasć'' ; russian: Минская о́бласть, ''Minskaya oblast'') is one of the regions of Belarus. Its administrative center is Minsk, ...
) published a cartoon depicting Roman Catholic priests as Nazis wearing swastika instead of crosses.Belarus church denounces anti-Catholic cartoon depicting priests as Nazis
/ref>
See also
* Belarusian Greek Catholic Church
* Catholic Church by country
* Religion in Belarus
References
External links
The Catholic Church in Belarus
- official website and the central Belarusian catholic web-portal
The Apostolic Nuntiature in Belarus
Partał Maładych Katalikoŭ
- Young Catholics of Belarus
{{Catholicism in Europe, state=collapsed
Belarus
Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by ...
Belarus
Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by ...