Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Pinsk 2012. Унебаўзяцьця Найсьвяцейшай Панны Марыі, Пінск 2012 год.
At the end of the Mass, the moment the parishioners have eagerly awaited and a splendid example of Christian and pre-Christian syncretism: Bishop Dzjam’janka joyfully blesses parishioners’ flowers and fruit.
Bishop Dzjam’janka is joined by Archimandrite Sergei Hayek (Сяргей Гаек), Apostolic Visitator for the Greek Catholics of Belarus. У літургіі й асьвячэньні прыняе ўдзел таксама Архімандрыт айцец Сяргей, Апостальскі Візітатар для грэка-католікаў Беларусі.
After the 1596 Union of Brest, which led to the formation of the Greek Catholic church (so-called “Uniates”, Eastern in liturgy but in communion with Rome), Greek Catholics represented perhaps 80% of the population of present-day Belarus. The Russian Orthodox church and the Russian imperial regime loathed the existence of Greek Catholicism. After a concerted two-century campaign, the Russian church and empire finally suppressed the Greek Catholic church in Belarus in 1839 and in succeeding years took over Greek Catholic churches and forced most Greek Catholics to convert to Russian Orthodoxy. Today, under the patronage of Rome, the Greek Catholic church is slowly reviving in Belarus, but remains a shadow of its historic self.
After the blessing. Пасьля асьвячэньня.
