Metropolitan of Minsk and Zaslavl Veniamin recently said that the Belarusian Orthodox Church has its own proposals for amending the Constitution. The amendments to the Constitution had been initiated by Alyaksandr Lukashenka, ONT TV channel reports.
The Metropolitan said that in its proposals to amend the Constitution the BOC primarily aims to influence the social sphere.
“It is also the consolidation of the concept of marriage in the Constitution, taking into account the Christian tradition, the tradition of the Belarusian people. It is also the consolidation of certain social issues that must be identified: care for the younger generation, for the weak, the elderly. As well as the possibility of educating the younger generation about the traditions of the Belarusian people, patriotic education. How best to do this so that not only young people receive an excellent education, but at the same time there is a spiritual component in the formation of a young person. Of course, the state should also take care of this, and we suggest, using the church, how this can be done,” he said.
“We have made our proposals. If they are supported, it will be done through the corresponding clause [in the Constitution], which will allow and even recommend the courses that contribute precisely to the spiritual development of the individual in the traditions of the Belarusian people,” Veniamin added.
An ONT correspondent asked what Belarusians should do to preserve the “island of stability”:
“The main contribution can be done with the analysis of the past year and correction of mistakes, repentance for the wrong actions that took place, with correction, smoothing out with good deeds. And also caution in deeds and actions – everything needs to be done with balance and with love. So that there was no further confrontation, striving to be guided by the will of God.”
