ROC Head: Primate of Belarusian Church is flesh and blood of his nation

Metropolitan Veniamin (Tupeko). Photo: foto.patriarchia.ru

On September 6, 2020, during a meeting with the bishops of the Belarusian Exarchate of the ROC, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill stated that the Primate of the Belarusian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Veniamin, is flesh and blood of his people.

According to him, "when you are put at the head of the flock, the flock becomes your people, and you are the father, and all national divisions depart."

However, the Patriarch stressed, "now the national factor in Belarus is gathering steam, therefore we came to the conclusion that today the Belarusian Church should be led by the person who is born in Belarus, who speaks the Belarusian language, who is brought up in the Belarusian culture."

According to Patriarch Kirill, it is necessary "so that even those who want to say that our Church is somewhat alien to Belarus, Belarusian culture, Belarusian life, could see in the Primate of the Belarusian Church, head of the Exarchate, flesh of the flesh, bone of the bones of his people." 

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that the Exarch of Belarus called for a conciliar prayer until peace returns to the country.

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