Patriarch Kirill: Belarus enjoys wonderful conditions for church life to flourish
There are wonderful conditions in Belarus for church life to flourish – as stated by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, who arrived in the republic on June 4th to take part in the celebrations on the occasion of the 900th anniversary of the St. Euphrosyne Convent in Polotsk, in his address to parishioners after a service at the Holy Spirit Cathedral in Minsk, sb.by reports
Patriarch Kirill noted, “Every time I come to Belarus, I am overwhelmed with a special feeling. This land is the western part of Holy Russia, and it is so much filled with the power of faith. Actually, turning to the history, this borderland was not always peaceful and calm. People sometimes laid down their lives to preserve the Orthodox faith, so that it could be passed on from one generation to another. By the grace of God, we now live in different times, and no sacrifices are required of us to profess our faith and pass it on to our children and grandchildren. At the same time, we live in a period when it is very easy to lose faith. Older people remember how it was being eradicated during the Soviet Union era, but all attempts failed then. No one is fighting the Orthodox faith at present, nobody forbids children [to believe in God] – but is everything really fine?”
The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church wondered whether the Orthodoxy is as widespread today as it was at the time of the baptism of Holy Russia, “Everything is not so well, and this is much due to the fact that a person tends to get used to the good. People are sometimes limited in spacious housing and financial opportunities, but – upon receiving them – they quickly get used to the new circumstances, and something eagerly sought after is becoming ordinary for them. This habituation has a very dangerous effect on people's consciousness, will, way of thinking, and way of life. We live in such favourable times, which have not been seen in our large country for many decades, but God forbid we rest on our laurels. This weakens the power of faith. It is important to thank the Lord for every day you live. There is much to thank the Lord for, and this should be primarily be accompanied by a desire and willingness to visit churches and do good deeds. There are wonderful conditions in Belarus for church life to flourish. I would like to thank you, Your Eminence [addressing Metropolitan Veniamin], bishops and clergy for the preservation of faith, piety, and prayer.”
