Roman Catholicism in Belarus
Encyclopedia
The Roman Catholic Church in Belarus
is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church
, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope
and curia
in Rome
.
The first Latin Rite diocese in Belarus was established in Turaŭ
between 1008 and 1013.
Roman Catholicism was a traditionally dominant religion of Belarusian nobility
(the szlachta
) and of a large part of the population of West Belarus.
Nowadays there are 1,402,605 Catholics in the country - around 15% of the total population. Most of these belong to the Latin Rite dioceses. A small minority are of Byzantine Rite
, forming the particular Belarusian Greek Catholic Church
, which is in union with the Holy See
and follows the Byzantine Slavonic ritual.
Polish and Lithuanian
minorities in Belarus are predominantly Latin-Rite Catholics, but over 1 mln Latin-Rite Catholics are ethnic Belarusians (over 15% of ethnic Belarusians total). The Greek Catholics are mostly ethnic Belarusians
, with some Ukrainians
.
Three suffragan diocese
s:
Metropolitan Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz is the leader of the Latin-Rite Catholic Church in Belarus.
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
and curia
Curia
A curia in early Roman times was a subdivision of the people, i.e. more or less a tribe, and with a metonymy it came to mean also the meeting place where the tribe discussed its affairs...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
.
The first Latin Rite diocese in Belarus was established in Turaŭ
Turau
Turaŭ or Turaw is a town in the Zhytkavichy Raion of Homiel Province of Belarus and the former capital of the medieval Principality of Turov and Pinsk.-History:...
between 1008 and 1013.
Roman Catholicism was a traditionally dominant religion of Belarusian nobility
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
(the szlachta
Szlachta
The szlachta was a legally privileged noble class with origins in the Kingdom of Poland. It gained considerable institutional privileges during the 1333-1370 reign of Casimir the Great. In 1413, following a series of tentative personal unions between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of...
) and of a large part of the population of West Belarus.
Nowadays there are 1,402,605 Catholics in the country - around 15% of the total population. Most of these belong to the Latin Rite dioceses. A small minority are of Byzantine Rite
Byzantine Rite
The Byzantine Rite, sometimes called the Rite of Constantinople or Constantinopolitan Rite is the liturgical rite used currently by all the Eastern Orthodox Churches, by the Greek Catholic Churches , and by the Protestant Ukrainian Lutheran Church...
, forming the particular Belarusian Greek Catholic Church
Belarusian Greek Catholic Church
The Belarusian Greek Catholic Church , sometimes called, in reference to its Byzantine Rite, the Belarusian Byzantine Catholic Church, is the heir within Belarus of the Union of Brest...
, which is in union with the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
and follows the Byzantine Slavonic ritual.
Polish and Lithuanian
Lithuanians
Lithuanians are the Baltic ethnic group native to Lithuania, where they number around 2,765,600 people. Another million or more make up the Lithuanian diaspora, largely found in countries such as the United States, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Russia, United Kingdom and Ireland. Their native language...
minorities in Belarus are predominantly Latin-Rite Catholics, but over 1 mln Latin-Rite Catholics are ethnic Belarusians (over 15% of ethnic Belarusians total). The Greek Catholics are mostly ethnic Belarusians
Belarusians
Belarusians ; are an East Slavic ethnic group who populate the majority of the Republic of Belarus. Introduced to the world as a new state in the early 1990s, the Republic of Belarus brought with it the notion of a re-emerging Belarusian ethnicity, drawn upon the lines of the Old Belarusian...
, with some Ukrainians
Ukrainians
Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...
.
Hierarchy
One metropolitan archdiocese:- Minsk-Mohilev - 610,490 Roman Catholics
Three suffragan diocese
Suffragan Diocese
A suffragan diocese is a diocese in the Catholic Church that is overseen not only by its own diocesan bishop but also by a metropolitan bishop. The metropolitan is always an archbishop who governs his own archdiocese...
s:
Metropolitan Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz is the leader of the Latin-Rite Catholic Church in Belarus.
External links
- The Roman 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