{"id":122806,"date":"2025-01-22T14:21:58","date_gmt":"2025-01-22T11:21:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/122806\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","slug":"official-plays-down-growing-number-of-protestants-in-belarus","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/122806\/","title":{"rendered":"Official plays down growing number of Protestants in Belarus"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

January 22, Pozirk<\/em>.<\/strong> Belarus\u2019 Brest region leads in the number of religious communities with 772, followed by the Minsk and Viciebsk regions with 714 and 565, respectively, Alaksandar Rumak, commissioner for religions and nationalities, has told journalists. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of the Brest region’s religious communities are Protestant, which Rumak linked to historical reasons, yet pointed out that the Russian Orthodox Church and Roman Catholic Church were \u201ctraditional\u201d Christian denominations for Belarus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Orthodoxy remains the most influential religion in Belarus, as the Belarusian Exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church runs 1,737 parishes, which account for more than 50 percent of all registered communities, the official noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Roman Catholic Church ranks second with 526 parishes, even though it has fewer parishes than evangelical Christians (526).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A total of 25 religious denominations with 3,419 congregations were registered in Belarus on January 1, 2024. However, religious communities are required to apply for re-registration, Rumak said.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Belarusian Exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church was re-registered last September. Others have until July 5 to complete the procedures outlined in the amendments to the religion law one year ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The amendments expand the grounds for closing religious organizations and ban religious associations from expressing political positions that divert from the official line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also read: Western diplomats declare solidarity with clergy facing reprisals in Belarus
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January 22, Pozirk. Belarus\u2019 Brest region leads in the number of religious communities with 772, followed by the Minsk and Viciebsk regions with 714 and 565, respectively, Alaksandar Rumak, commissioner for religions and nationalities, has told journalists. Most of the Brest region’s religious communities are Protestant, which Rumak linked to historical reasons, yet pointed out […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":83,"featured_media":63993,"template":"","rubric":[14,13],"class_list":["post-122806","articles","type-articles","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","rubric-politics","rubric-society"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nOfficial plays down growing number of Protestants in Belarus | Pozirk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"January 22, Pozirk. 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