A. Lukashenko met with Archbishop T. Kondrusiewicz

December 27, Minsk / Alina Grishkevich - BELTA /. The bright holiday of the Nativity of Christ cultivates deep spirituality in people. This was noted by the President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko on December 27 at a meeting with Metropolitan of the Minsk-Mogilev Archdiocese Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, BELTA was informed by the press service of the Belarusian leader. Such meetings of the President with the head of the Roman Catholic Church in Belarus during the festive Christmas days at the Archcathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary have become traditional. "I congratulate the Catholic priests and all the Belarusian people on this kindest, purest, and brightest holiday. I wish health and happiness to all our people," said Alexander Lukashenko. "This year we are celebrating the Nativity of Christ in a special way. I feel that the mood is completely different, and you told me about the Christmas celebrations held at the church in Vileyka. I watched it on television, I received information." "This is a good event, which brings together not only Catholics, but also Orthodox Christians and people free from faith. It cultivates people in the spirit of patriotism, devotion to their people, and spirituality. Therefore, I would like to thank you for what you have done during these festive days," the head of the Belarusian state told Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz. The Metropolitan of the Minsk-Mogilev Archdiocese, in turn, spoke about the positive experience of cooperation between the Roman Catholic Church and Belarusian Television, which traditionally broadcast the Christmas service live. "Holy Christmas is indeed a good event. We are building international bridges between different denominations and religions," emphasized Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz. He stressed the importance of the fact that a representative of the Belarusian Orthodox Church also participated in the Christmas celebrations at the church in Vileyka. He also noted that there are many mixed marriages in Belarus, and spouses celebrate the Nativity of Christ, both Catholic and Orthodox. Christmas is a special holiday for everyone. During the meeting, current issues of relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the state were mainly discussed. Currently, work is being completed on the draft Agreement on Cooperation between Belarus and the Holy See. The draft document, in which the Belarusian side has taken into account the expressed wishes and remarks, is currently under consideration by the Secretariat of State of the Holy See. In the sphere of mutual interests of the state and the RCC are issues of training clergy and allocating land for the construction of new churches. The provision of the Roman Catholic Church with places of worship is the highest among the confessions in the country, amounting to 98%. There are 462 churches for 470 Catholic parishes, and 28 are under construction. A plot of land has been allocated for the construction of the Apostolic Nunciature of the Holy See in Minsk. Over the past 15 years, the number of Catholic parishes has significantly increased, new churches are being built, and shrines are being restored. Since 1988, about 300 facilities have been transferred to the Roman Catholic Church for religious purposes. In recent years, the Brigittine monastery in Grodno, the Church of St. Roch in Minsk, and the church in the village of Volchin, Kamenets district, and the former Franciscan monastery building in the village of Golshany, Oshmyany district, have been returned to it. The Roman Catholic Church is one of the largest confessions in the country in terms of the number of registered religious communities, and the second largest in terms of the number of believers. Its role in the spiritual and cultural life of society and interfaith dialogue is constantly growing. The Roman Catholic Church contributes to the spiritual and moral education of youth. There are 414 clergy working in the RCC parishes, 164 of whom are foreign citizens. Belarusian Catholic clergy are trained in two theological seminaries of the Roman Catholic Church - in Grodno and Pinsk. In addition, a catechetical college for laity was opened in Baranovichi in 2009. The state provides support to these spiritual educational institutions. In addition, the state provides other necessary support, including material support. In particular, the frescoes in the Archcathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary were restored using budget funds. The Roman Catholic Church is actively involved in charity work. Branches of the charitable organization "Caritas," which provides significant assistance to those in need, operate under the Conference of Catholic Bishops in Belarus and in all dioceses. State governing bodies, local executive and administrative bodies maintain an active dialogue with the Roman Catholic Church. The RCC maintains constructive relations with the Belarusian Orthodox Church and other confessions and religious denominations. At the end of the meeting with Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, an icon of the Mother of God "Ostrabramskaya," made of amber by a Belarusian craftsman, was presented as a gift from the President to the Archcathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary. -0-