HEAD OF
B.P.Ts.M.P.
APOLOGIZES FOR PREMATURE CONGRATULATIONS OF LUKASHENKO ON
"VICTORY"
Patriarchal
Exarch of
all Belarus Metropolitan Pavel of the Moscow patriarchate
apologized for hasty
congratulations of Lukashenko on his "victory" in the election
of 9
August.
As the
press
secretary of the BPTsMP [Belorussian Orthodox Church of the
Moscow
Patriarchate], priest Sergei Lepin, told Radio Liberty on 14
August,
Metropolitan Pavel apologized to people who gathered for an
"unsanctioned" procession of the cross in the center of Minsk,
Credo.Press writes.
"The
metropolitan received information about events in Belarus and he
viewed a video
recording of arrests, and they disturbed, frightened, and
angered him," Fr
Sergei said.
In
conversing with
believers, Pavel agreed with the fact that "evil must be called
evil," and that one cannot be reconciled to violence.
The metropolitan answered questions from believers and
called for prayerful
support of those who were arrested illegally and subjected to
violence. Such a
joint prayer will be conducted in the center of Minsk every day
at 1:00 p.m.
and will be accompanied by a procession.
As the priest Alexander Shramko, who was present at the
conversation,
noted, Metropolitan Pavel thereby blessed the prayers of
Christians and the
procession of the cross "which he had denounced literally the
day
before."
Patriarch Kirill, who sent congratulation to Lukashenko
on 10 August, has
been absent from public view and he has not reacted to the mass
beatings in
Belarus of his flock, among
other people.
It is not yet possible to establish the patriarch's whereabouts
and the
condition of his health. Thus, Metropolitan Pavel's apology has
been viewed by
several Orthodox believers in Belarus and abroad as issued in
the name of the
entire Moscow patriarchate. (tr. by PDS, posted 15 August 2020)
PATRIARCH KIRILL CALLS GOVERNMENT AND SOCIETY IN
BELORUSSIA TO DIALOGUE
Patriarch of Moscow and all-Rus Kirill urged the
authorities and
"social forces" of Belorussia to a dialogue and also expressed
confidence that the Belorussian Orthodox Church will contribute
to the peace
process, Vladimir Legoida, the chairman of the synodal
Department for Relations
of Church with Society and News Media of the Moscow
patriarchate, wrote on his
Telegram account on Saturday.
"His Holiness the patriarch is praying these days for a
quick end
to the public confrontation in the republic of Belarus and for
the
establishment of peace and trust and the healing of all wounds.
And that the
government and all healthy social forces, who are concerned for
the welfare of
the nation, will enter into a dialogue for overcoming the
tensions that have
arisen. The patriarch is confident that the episcopate and
clergy of the
Belorussian Orthodox Church are able to make an important
contribution to the
work of reconciliation," Legoida wrote.
The Belorussian church urged people not to give in to
provocations.
Patriarch Kirill had previously congratulated Alexander
Lukashenko on his
victory in the presidential election.
Yesterday the chairman of the Council of Muftis of Russia
and the
Ecclesiastical Board of Muslims of the RF, mufti Sheikh Raviil
Gainutdin, called
Belarusans to peace and requested the authorities to end
violence.
On Wednesday, the patriarchal exarch of all Belarus,
Metropolitan of
Minsk and Zaslav Pavel, called citizens at a press conference
"to peace,
possible dialogue, and harmony."
Presidential elections were held in Belorussia on 9
August. The
incumbent president, Alexander Lukashenko, according to
information of the
Central Election Commission, garnered 80.1% of the votes. All
four opposition
candidates disputed the results. Actions of protests have not
ceased in the
republic since Sunday. Demonstrators who have come out onto the
streets of
various cities are dissatisfied with the organization and
results of the
election. Law enforcement agents have used water cannons, tear
gas, stun
grenades, and rubber bullets against the protesters. As the
Interior Department
of the republic has reported, during the disorders hundreds of
people have been
wounded, including 103 officers of law enforcement agencies.
According to
Interior Department information, one protester died while trying
to throw an
improvised explosive device at police. (tr. by PDS, posted 15
August 2020)
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