Villagers in Catholic parishes of the Vitebsk region give a written promise not to drink in the Book of Sobriety

April 24, Vitebsk / Olga Bogacheva - BELTA /. Villagers of the Braslav district of the Vitebsk region give a written promise not to drink in the Book of Sobriety, the rector of the parish in the village of Dalekie, Andrey Bochar, told a BELTA correspondent. Not everyone decides to make such a spiritual sacrifice, and not immediately, because a word given to God must be kept, and this is often very difficult. Therefore, moral preparation sometimes takes even longer than the period for which a person agrees to abstain from alcohol. However, if a promise is made, then the effect of this can be equated to coding. Every month, 20-30 people sign up in the Book of Sobriety of the parish to lead a sober lifestyle, including not only the adult population but also local youth. Each of them determines their own "period of sobriety." Sometimes it's a week, sometimes a month or two, and there are longer periods. To maintain spirits in such a high sacrifice, Andrey Bochar holds regular meetings and conversations with his sober parishioners, and dedicates one day a month entirely, from morning to evening, to prayers for sobriety. It is noteworthy that the Book of Sobriety is a kind of preparatory stage for a more serious trial, the "Cruciate of Sobriety," the interlocutor noted. Only a few agree to participate in this campaign, as here the promise not to consume alcohol is given for at least a year, and a number of strict conditions are imposed. A person must not only give up alcohol but also not treat others with it, not offer it, not buy it for anyone, and not use it as a gift or payment for services or help. According to Andrey Bochar, the creation of Books of Sobriety is becoming more widespread. Thus, they have already appeared in Catholic parishes of the Gluboksky, Braslavsky districts, the regional center, and some other regions of the area. Thus, while the secular authorities of the Vitebsk region are fighting the spread of drunkenness with tough administrative and legal measures in the form of creating "sobriety zones," blacklists of drunkards, shame boards, coding, and restrictions on alcohol sales, the clergy of the region is moving towards the same goal from another side - trying to revive morality in people in the first place. -0-