The Belarusian Orthodox Church (BOC; be, Беларуская праваслаўная царква, russian: Белорусская православная церковь) is the official name of the Belarusian Exarchate ( be, Беларускі экзархат, russian: Белорусский экзархат) of the
Russian Orthodox Church in
Belarus.
It represents the union of
Russian Orthodox eparchies in the territory of the
Republic of Belarus
A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th ...
and is the largest religious organization in the country, uniting the predominant majority of its
Eastern Orthodox Christians.
Bishop Beniamin Brikov III (Vitaly Ivanovich Tupieko) became the
Patriarchal Exarch of the Belarusian Orthodox Church in 2020.
ВЕНИАМИН, МИТРОПОЛИТ МИНСКИЙ И ЗАСЛАВСКИЙ, ПАТРИАРШИЙ ЭКЗАРХ ВСЕЯ БЕЛАРУСИ
- "Решением Священного Синода от 25 августа 2020 г. (журнал № 46) назначен Патриаршим Экзархом всея Беларуси, митрополитом Минским и Заславским, с сохранением временного управления Борисовской епархией.
Возведен в сан митрополита Святейшим Патриархом Московским и всея Руси Кириллом 6 сентября 2020 г. за Божественной литургией в кафедральном соборном Храме Христа Спасителя в городе Москве."
The church enjoys a much lower degree of autonomy than the , which is a semi-autonomous entity associated with the Russian Orthodox Church.
The Belarusian Orthodox Church strongly opposes the minor and largely emigration-based Belarusian Autocephalous Orthodox Church
The Belarusian Autocephalous Orthodox Church ( be, Беларуская аўтакефальная праваслаўная царква, ''Bielaruskaja aŭtakiefaĺnaja pravaslaŭnaja carkva'' BAPC; russian: Белорусская автокеф ...
.
Structure
Structurally, the Belarusian Orthodox Church consists of 15 eparchies
Eparchy ( gr, ἐπαρχία, la, eparchía / ''overlordship'') is an ecclesiastical unit in Eastern Christianity, that is equivalent to a diocese in Western Christianity. Eparchy is governed by an ''eparch'', who is a bishop. Depending on the ...
:
* Eparchy of Babruysk and Bykhau
* Eparchy of Barysaw
* Eparchy of Brest and Kobryn
* Eparchy of Hrodna and Vaukavysk
* Eparchy of Homel and Zhlobin
* Eparchy of Lida
* Eparchy of Minsk
* Eparchy of Mahiliou and Mstsislau
* Eparchy of Maladzyechna
* Eparchy of Navahrudak
* Eparchy of Pinsk and Luninets
* Eparchy of Polatsk and Hlybokaye
* Eparchy of Slutsk
* Eparchy of Turau and Mazyr
* Eparchy of Vitsebsk and Orsha
References
{{reflist
External links
Official website
The Growing Power Of The Belarusian Orthodox Church - Belarus Photo Digest
Eastern Orthodoxy in Belarus
Exarchates of the Russian Orthodox Church
Eastern Orthodox Church bodies in Europe