THE REPORT ABOUT BCHD SHOWN ON BELARUSIAN TELEVISION DOES NOT REFLECT THE OFFICIAL POSITION OF THE BELARUSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH
An official representative of the Belarusian Orthodox Church spoke to the press-service of BChD and commented upon the statements of some representatives of the Church with regard to Belarusian Christian Democracy, which were included into a scandal television report about BChD.
– This political material, obviously specially ordered, moreover, shown on TV during the visit of Patriarch Kiryl to our country, raised a very negative reaction in the episcopacy, – said to the press-service of BChD Archimandrite Aleksij, an official representative of the Belarusian Orthodox Church, responsible for relations with media.
According to Archimandrite Aleksij, the Church in no way protests against Christian political parties and movements, and, on the contrary, supports the activity of such political organizations, as well as all the other ones, the conception of which does not contradict Christian morals and values.
Thus, the basic document of the Orthodox Church “Fundamentals of the Social Concept of the Russian Orthodox Church” implies the following:”Existence of Christian political organizations, as well as Christian parts of wider political unifications is considered by the Church as a positive phenomenon, which helps the laity to conduct political and state activity together on the basis of Christian spiritual and moral principles.
«The Church encourages dialogue and contacts with political organizations for the “aims favorable for the Church and the people”. In case of political disagreement, contradictions and struggle the Church is supposed to preach peace and cooperation between people of different political views.
We would not want private opinions to become the starting point of negative relations between the Belarusian Orthodox Church and Christian political movements. We again state herewith, that the Church, conducting its service in the Belarusian society, serves exclusively to make peace and consent between our people and within the Church environment,- stated the representative of the Belarusian Orthodox Church.
