The report that Metropolitan Veniamin visited the Budslau fest was erroneous

Night procession in Budslau. Photo: catholic.by

The Telegram channel "Christian Vision" reported, citing the welcoming speech of Metropolitan of Minsk-Mogilev Archbishop Iosif Staneuski, that the main holy mass on July 4 was held with the participation of the head of the BPC, Metropolitan Veniamin. It was stated that, in addition to him, leaders of the Jewish and Islamic confessions, Russian ambassador Boris Gryzlov, and other diplomats were present at the service.

However, the Telegram channel "Christian Vision" later published a clarification. Metropolitan Veniamin and Ambassador Boris Gryzlov were not present at the fest — only their representatives were. The confusion arose because the channel's authors misunderstood the presentation of guests during Archbishop Staneuski's speech. Among the leaders of confessions, only the spiritual leader of Belarusian Tatars, Mufti Abu-Bekir Shabanovich, was actually present at the celebration.

The state apparatus was also represented at a low level — by Deputy Plenipotentiary for Religious and Nationalities Affairs Siarhei Herasimenia, the leadership of the Myadzel District Executive Committee, as well as representatives of pseudo-public associations — the Belarusian Union of Women and the Peace Fund.

Павялічыць

Metropolitan of Minsk-Mogilev Archbishop Iosif Staneuski. Photo: catholic.by

Павялічыць

Night procession in Budslau. Photo: catholic.by

Павялічыць

Night procession in Budslau. Photo: catholic.by

In his sermon, Archbishop Staneuski emphasized that from this year Budslau officially became a "spiritual center," and noted that such status was assigned to it on the initiative of Aliaksandr Lukashenka. The hierarch voiced the thesis that "Church and state are a family of families," and thanked the country's leadership for financial support. According to him, an agreement has been reached on financing the restoration of the Budslau church after the fire on a parity basis: 50% of the costs are borne by the state, and another 50% by the Church. A museum has already been opened in the temple, and a Pilgrim's House is planned for the future.

Павялічыць

Midnight Mass in Budslau. Photo: catholic.by

According to a recent decree by Aliaksandr Lukashenka on supporting "spiritual centers," 3.4 million rubles were allocated from the state budget for the restoration of the Orthodox cathedral in Zhirovichi, and about 260 thousand rubles for repair work in the Catholic church in Budslau. The fire in the National Sanctuary, which severely damaged the temple's roof, occurred on May 11, 2021.

Despite the official nature, the main participants of the festival remained the faithful. According to official statistics announced after the services, this year 2680 pilgrims arrived in Budslau from different parts of Belarus, having walked a total of 2717 kilometers. Among them were 114 families with 150 children. The youngest pilgrim, brought by his parents from Minsk in five days, was only 26 days old. The oldest participant in the walking pilgrimages was 78 years old. Also, the first pilgrimage on monowheels, consisting of 15 people, arrived in Budslau, having traveled the Dauhinava – Budslau route.

Павялічыць

Midnight Mass in Budslau. Photo: catholic.by

It is worth noting that on July 3, the day of the official state holiday – Independence Day – prayers for Belarus were also heard in Budslau, and at noon, as in all Orthodox churches in the country, the bells rang festively.

The Budslau Fest, which is inscribed on UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage, this year was held under the motto "Glory to God - Hope in Mary - Fidelity to the Church" and was dedicated to the 35th anniversary of the restoration of the structures of the Catholic Church in Belarus.

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