Belarusian Orthodox Church

The Belarusian Orthodox Church (BOC; Belarusian: Беларуская праваслаўная царква, romanized: Bielaruskaja pravaslaŭnaja carkva) is the official name of the Belarusian Exarchate (Belarusian: Беларускі экзархат, romanized: Bielaruski ekzarchat) of the Russian Orthodox Church in Belarus.[2] 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.

Belarusian Exarchate of the Moscow Patriarchate
Беларускі Экзархат Маскоўскага Патрыярхата
The Holy Spirit Cathedral in Minsk
TypeEastern Orthodox
ScriptureSeptuagint, New Testament
TheologyEastern Orthodox theology
PolityEpiscopal
MetropolitanVienijamin
Bishops17 (2020)
Parishes1,612 (2015)
Priests1,676 (2019)
Dioceses15 (2019)
Monasteries35 (2019)
Language
HeadquartersHoly Spirit Cathedral, Minsk
Territory Belarus
Origin11 October 1989 (autonomy granted by the Moscow Patriarchate)
RecognitionRecognised as part of the Russian Orthodox Church
Members81% of the Belarusian Christian population[1]
Official websitechurch.by

Bishop Vienijamin (Vital Tupieka) became the Patriarchal Exarch of the Belarusian Orthodox Church in 2020.[3]

The church enjoys a much lower degree of autonomy than the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, which is a semi-autonomous entity associated with the Russian Orthodox Church.

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

Structure

Structurally, the Belarusian Orthodox Church consists of 15 eparchies:

  • Eparchy of Babruysk and Bykhau
  • Eparchy of Barysaw
  • Eparchy of Brest and Kobryn
  • Eparchy of Hrodna and Vaukavysk
  • Eparchy of Homel and Zhlobin
  • Eparchy of Lida
  • Eparchy of Minsk
  • Eparchy of Mahiliou and Mstsislau
  • Eparchy of Maladzyechna
  • Eparchy of Navahrudak
  • Eparchy of Pinsk and Luninets
  • Eparchy of Polatsk and Hlybokaye
  • Eparchy of Slutsk
  • Eparchy of Turau and Mazyr
  • Eparchy of Vitsebsk and Orsha

References
  1. "Белорусский экзархат — 30 лет истории / Интервью / Патриархия.ru".
  2. 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 [...].
  3. 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."
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