On January 3, Alexander Lukashenko signed a law previously adopted by parliament, which contains changes in legislation that relate to religious organizations in Belarus. According to it, all Belarusian religious associations are required to undergo re-registration.
According to the new legislation, new requirements will be presented to all churches in Belarus, reported Presidential press service.
Thus, in order to create a registration of a republican religious association, it now requires the presence in its composition of religious communities operating in all regions and in Minsk. At the same time, at least one of the communities of the republican or local religious association must operate in Belarus for at least 30 years (previously it was 20).
Religious associations were given a year from the date the law came into force to re-register.
The law also provides that monasteries have the right to organize their orphanages under the control of the Ministry of Education of Belarus.
Prohibition on politics and war propaganda
Previously, member of the Belarusian Parliament Lyudmila Zdorikova reported, that the law, in addition to adjusting existing concepts and definitions, introduces new concepts such as Sunday religious school, religious educational institution, religious education, religious personnel, religious building and structure and a number of others. “For the first time, such a concept as missionary activity is being established at the legislative level, and the goals and objectives of the pilgrimage activities of religious organizations are being clarified,” said a member of the lower house of parliament.
The new law also introduced political bans for religious associations in Belarus.
“The draft law proposes to introduce prohibitive norms regarding the use in places intended for worship of any symbols other than religious ones, as well as literature and images that promote war, call for racial hostility, hostility on religious or national grounds. The draft law also proposes to introduce a ban on the participation of religious organizations in political activities and in the activities of political parties,” said the deputy at the stage of consideration of the law in parliament.
Earlier, Telegraph reported that Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, called on Russians mobilized for military operations in Ukraine not to be afraid to die there.
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