Patriarch Kirill will visit Belarus from September 25-28

September 24, Minsk / Vladimir Vasilkov - BELTA /. The visit of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' to Belarus will take place from September 25 to 28. As reported to BELTA by the Belarusian Exarchate, the purpose of the visit of the head of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) is spiritual communion with the Belarusian flock, joint prayers for the church and the people, as well as meetings with the public and youth of Belarus. Tomorrow at 11:15 AM Minsk time, the arrival of His Holiness the Vladyka at Minsk National Airport is expected. Patriarch Kirill will visit the Holy Spirit Cathedral in Minsk, where he will venerate the Minsk Icon of the Mother of God and the relics of Saint Sophia of Slutsk. A short moleben will be held here. On the same day, the Patriarch intends to visit the Church-Monument in honor of All Saints and the innocently slain in our Fatherland (on Kalinovskogo Street). After that, a solemn assembly will be held at the Palace of the Republic with the participation of His Holiness, which will be attended by representatives of the state bodies of Belarus, secular and church public, and youth. A festive concert will also be held here. On Saturday, Kirill will visit the Minsk Diocesan Administration of the Belarusian Orthodox Church, where he will communicate with its staff. A joint prayer will be held in the Cross Church in honor of the Council of Belarusian Saints (inside the diocesan administration building). After that, the head of the ROC will proceed to the Institute of Theology named after Saints Cyril and Methodius of Belarusian State University. Then His Holiness the Vladyka will lay a wreath at the monument on Victory Square. After the solemn ceremony, the Patriarch will visit the Minsk House of Mercy, where the solemn conclusion of the social campaign "Family - Unity and Love," which started in Minsk on September 12, will take place. In the evening, the head of the ROC will travel to Polotsk, where a visit to the Holy Cross Exaltation Church of the Holy Euphrosyne Monastery is planned. In this church, the Patriarch will perform the festive matins and the rite of exaltation, using the recreated Cross of Saint Euphrosyne of Polotsk. And on Sunday, on the feast of the Exaltation, Vladyka Kirill will perform the Divine Liturgy in the same cathedral. While in Polotsk, His Holiness will familiarize himself with the spiritual and cultural heritage of this ancient Belarusian city, visiting the Savior-Transfiguration Church and St. Sophia Cathedral. Upon arriving in Vitebsk, the Patriarch will visit the memorial cross at the site of the death of 100,000 victims of Nazism in the Vitebsk concentration camp, where he will lay flowers. Then, with the participation of the head of the ROC, a moleben will be held in the Holy Protection Cathedral. In the evening, Kirill will lay a wreath at the monument on Victory Square in Vitebsk and perform a litany for the fallen during the Great Patriotic War. The visit program will conclude on September 28 with His Holiness's meeting with youth at the Vitebsk Summer Amphitheater (approximately 8,000 people are expected to attend). After that, Vladyka Kirill will depart for Moscow. Belarus has prepared gifts for the visit of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus'. The main one is a facsimile edition of the famous Slutsk Gospel. This gift is intended to become a symbol of the spiritual revival of the Belarusian nation. According to the Office of the Plenipotentiary Representative for Religious and National Affairs, Orthodox Christians make up about 80% of believers in Belarus. Orthodoxy is the oldest Christian confession that has spread throughout the Belarusian lands. The first Orthodox diocese, Polotsk, was founded in 992. Currently, 11 Orthodox dioceses (Brest, Minsk, Polotsk, Mogilev, Pinsk, Gomel, Grodno, Novogrudok, Vitebsk, Turov, Bobruisk) are part of the Belarusian Exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church, founded in 1989. Another official name for the Belarusian Exarchate is the Belarusian Orthodox Church. It is headed by the Synod, led by Metropolitan Filaret of Minsk and Slutsk, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus. As of January 1, 2009, 1,473 Orthodox communities were registered in Belarus. 1,274 churches are in operation, and another 152 churches are under construction. In the 1990s, the process of revival of religious organizations began. As of early 2009, more than 70 Orthodox associations were operating in Belarus, including 31 monasteries, 14 brotherhoods, 9 sisterhoods, 5 theological educational institutions, as well as mercy and education centers. -0-