The Belarusian Orthodox Church ( BOC ; Belarusian : Беларуская праваслаўная царква , romanized : Bielaruskaja pravaslaŭnaja carkva , Russian : Белорусская православная церковь , romanized : Belorusskaya pravoslavnaya tserkov', ) is the official name of the exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church in Belarus . It represents the union of Russian Orthodox eparchies in the territory of Belarus and is the largest religious organization in the country, uniting the predominant majority of its Eastern Orthodox Christians.
16-829: Bishop Vienijamin (Vital Tupieka) became the Patriarchal Exarch of the Belarusian Orthodox Church in 2020. The church enjoys a much lower degree of autonomy than the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate , which is a semi-autonomous entity associated with the Russian Orthodox Church . The Belarusian Orthodox Church strongly opposes the minor and largely emigration-based Belarusian Autocephalous Orthodox Church . Structurally,
32-558: Is a Belarusian Orthodox bishop currently serving as Metropolitan of Minsk and as Patriarchal Exarch of the Belarusian Orthodox Church since 2020. He has also been Metropolitan of Barysaŭ since 2010. He is the first Belarusian to be head of the Belarusian Orthodox Church. Vital Ivanavič Tupieka was born on 16 September 1968 in the city of Luninets , then part of the Soviet Union . His father, Ivan Tupieka,
48-811: Is an eparchy of the Belarusian Orthodox Church (an exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church ) located in Minsk Region in Belarus . The Diocese of Barysaŭ was first established as a vicariate of the Diocese of Minsk by the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church on 13 March 2002. On 31 March 2002, John (Khama) [ be ] was ordained as bishop of Barysaŭ at Holy Spirit Cathedral in Minsk . However, on 4 June 2002, Khama
64-618: The Constitution of Belarus and anti-protest laws. Lukashenko praised Vienijamin for his support during the 2020–2021 Belarusian protests , claiming Vienijamin's support had stopped a conspiracy involving "almost all" Catholics and some Orthodox Christians. Vienijamin has been criticised by members of the Belarusian opposition , such as Charter 97 , for his refusal to condemn the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine . He criticised Belarusian Orthodox Church clergymen who protested against
80-569: The Belarusian Orthodox Church consists of 15 eparchies : In a statement from 2023, the exiled Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic accused the Belarusian Orthodox Church of failing to condemn violence in Belarus following the 2020–2021 Belarusian protests and of interfering in the affairs of other Christian churches and thereby being "the main source of inter-religious tension in Belarus". The Rada characterised
96-526: The Belarusian Orthodox Church. On 19 November 2014, he became a voting member of the Holy Synod of the Belarusian Orthodox Church. However, on 3 June 2015, he was removed from the Holy Synod and his positions as abbot of Liady Monastery and the publishing house of the BOC. Since his appointment as Patriarchal Exarch of the BOC, Vienijamin has remained as Metropolitan of Barysaŭ on an acting basis. Vienijamin
112-945: The church as "a Russian colonial institution" and "one of the ideological pillars of A. Lukashenka's regime". In 2022 and 2023, the Orthodox St Elisabeth Convent in Minsk has been holding public events supporting the Russian invasion of Ukraine and raised funds to support Russian troops. The convent has also been involved in promoting homophobia , and other controversies . Vienijamin (Tupieka) Metropolitan Benjamin ( Belarusian : Мітрапаліт Веніямі́н ; Russian : Митрополит Вениамин , romanized : Mitropolit Veniamin ; secular name Vital Ivanavič Tupieka (Belarusian: Віта́ль Іва́навіч Тупе́ка ; Russian: Виталий Иванович Тупеко , romanized: Vitaly Ivanovich Tupeko ; born 16 September 1968)
128-570: The crackdown on the 2020–2021 protests and signed the Appeal of the Clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church for Reconciliation and an End to War , stating that that a priest "does not need to interfere" on political topics. Diocese of Barysa%C5%AD The Diocese of Barysaŭ ( Belarusian : Барысаўская епархія , romanized : Barysaŭskaja jeparchija ; Russian : Бори́совская епа́рхия , romanized : Borisovskaya yeparkhiya )
144-579: The diocese. On 23 April 2014, the Holy Synod chose to promote the vicariate of Barysaŭ to a diocese. The diocese, along with the Dioceses of Minsk, Maladziečna [ be ] , and Slutsk [ be ] , became part of the Metropolis of Minsk [ be ] . In January 2023, the Diocese of Barysaŭ awarded two letters to the head of a local penal colony and the commander of
160-415: The third course in 1994, he was sent to Zhyrovichy Monastery . On 16 December 1994, he was christened under the name of Vienijamin (after Benjamin of Petrograd ) by the deputy administrator of Zhyrovichy Monastery, and entered the monastery. On 9 January 1995, he was consecrated as a hierodeacon by Metropolitan Philaret during liturgical services at Zhyrovichy Monastery. On 13 February of the same year, he
176-626: Was a police officer. He graduated from secondary school in 1985, and then studied at the Belarusian State University in Minsk . He later continued his studies at the Faculty of Radiophysics and Electronics. He graduated in 1992, specialising in radiophysics engineering. In August of the same year, Tupieka entered the first course of the Minsk Theological Seminary [ be ] . After completing
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#1732791853843192-543: Was appointed as bishop of Brest [ be ] , and the vicariate was left without a head. At another meeting of the Holy Synod on 5 March 2010, the vicariate was again given a bishop at the request of Philaret . Vienijamin (Tupieka) , then head of the Holy Annunciation Church and Basilian Monastery [ be ] in Malyja Liady [ be ] , was appointed as bishop of
208-569: Was appointed as Patriarchal Exarch of the Belarusian Orthodox Church on 25 August 2020 by the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church . At the time of his appointment, he was the first Belarusian to serve as head of the BOC; his two predecessors, Filaret and Paul, had both been Russians. His appointment was confirmed by Patriarch Kirill at a Divine Liturgy in the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour on 6 September 2020. In January 2022, Vienijamin
224-520: Was diagnosed with COVID-19 , reportedly following a public event held with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko , according to Belarusian opposition organisation Christian Vision . Vienijamin is a supporter of the All-Russian nation and Russian world ideology, having called for the unification of Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia into a singular country. He has promoted the policies of Alexander Lukashenko's government, including modifications to
240-586: Was promoted to hieromonk. On 20 June 1996, Vienijamin was appointed as treasurer of the monastery. The same year, he graduated from the Minsk Theological Seminary with a bachelor's degree in theology from the Minsk Theological Academy , and was appointed as a teacher at the theological seminary. On 14 December 1999, he became a hegumen. On 12 January 2005, Vienijamin became part of the deanery of Zyrovichy Monastery. He
256-530: Was promoted to the title of archimandrite on 20 May 2006. On 1 July 2009, he became abbot of the Liady Monastery [ be ] . On 20 March 2010, Vienijamin became Metropolitan of the Diocese of Barysaŭ . The ceremony of his appointment was at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour , supervised by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow . Three months later, he was appointed head of the publishing house of
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