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| Population | 9.5 million |
|---|---|
| Religions | Christian 74% Non-religious 25% Other 1% |
| Christian Population | 7 million |
Christians and the Struggle for Religious Freedom
A vital booklet about religious freedom to inform, inspire and challenge you. Includes an explanation of what religious freedom means and examples of the challenges Christians face in our Persecuted and Forgotten? 2012 update.
Get the book or download your copyLatest news from Belarus
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Belarus - Country profile
Russian Orthodox faithful, Catholics, Lutherans, Jews and Muslims have continued to face problems in spite of a 2002 Belarussian law recognising each religion as a “traditional faith”.
Foreign missionaries regularly face administrative obstacles, especially concerning residence permits. The state often interferes in religious life. All faith activities and religious buildings require state approval and there is a ban on religious activity in most homes. (Source: Forum 18, 11th June 2009)
Christian groups not recognised by the 2002 law have experienced more problems. Their meetings have been raided, their property seized and they have been fined for ‘unauthorised’ religious activities. Prospects for an improvement in the situation remain uncertain after Mr Lukashenko began a fourth term as president after much-disputed elections in December 2010.
Property remains a controversial issue in Belarus. Although about 95 percent of historical Orthodox churches have been returned, Lutheran and Calvinist Christians have had little success. Permits to build new churches have been difficult to acquire, while the state has revealed plans to transform a number of places of worship into hotels or museums.
Following talks with President Lukashenko in April 2010, Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz of Minsk-Mogilev, the head of the Catholic Church in Belarus, said he hoped problems with building new churches could be resolved. (Source: The Tablet, 17th April 2010) In August 2010 the state gave permission to build several new shrines, though with strict quality controls, reportedly because the president wanted the shrines to boost his prestige. (Source: Zenit, 20th August 2010)
Oppression and control in Belarus
July 2010: Protestant pastor Viktor Novik was fined three times in one day for preaching outdoors in a village. Novik said he applied several times for permission, but this was disputed by local officials. (Source: Forum 18, 30th July 2010)
July 2010: A Catholic festival was publicly celebrated on 1st-2nd July when Braslaw hosted festivities in honour of the Mother of God of Budslaw. Thousands participated with full approval of the authorities. (Source: Zenit, 20th August 2010)
December 2010: Bishop Alexander Kashkevich of Hrodna said that, despite an agreement having been prepared between President Lukashenko and the Vatican’s secretary of state, the Catholic Church was still facing problems, especially obtaining visas for foreign priests. (Source: Zenit, 8th December 2010)
Last updated: 16/03/2011