| On Wednesday, Alexander Lukashenko promised to sign the law on freedom of religion, already approved by the Belarusian parliament. This document, which assigns a dominant role to the Orthodox Church, may cause a split in Belarusian society. A certificate prepared at the beginning of the summer by the Belarusian KGB states that the bill is capable of causing discontent among Protestants and representatives of other faiths, which “could result in protests.” However, the head of state firmly said: “We have supported and will support Orthodoxy in Belarus.” He does not see “any attacks or attacks on other faiths” in the proposed law.
First of all, the new law is directed against the very actively growing Protestant communities. To give legitimacy to a religious organization, it must be registered. Only communities of at least 20 people and existing in the country for at least 20 years are subject to registration. The law equates prayer services with mass actions, the holding of which must obtain permission from the authorities. Foreign clergy can work in Belarus for no more than a year, although approximately two-thirds of Catholic pastors in the country are Polish citizens. Natalya VIKTOROVA, Minsk
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