Catholic and Protestant Christmas in Belarus

On 25 December Belarusian Catholics and Protestants celebrated Christmas, one of the most important holidays in Western Christianity. Christmas celebrations were preceded by a touching Advent period and were followed by the so-called Octave of Christmas that lasted eight days until 1 January.

Since ancient times, lit candles have been one of the symbols of Christmas in addition to the creche. The image of candles reminds believers of the eternal words from the Gospel: “And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” The first solemn services in Catholic churches (there are more than 500 of them in the country) were held on Christmas Eve, 24 December. After Christmas dinner, parishioners started flocking for a evening Mass. When the first star appeared in the sky and the birth of Jesus Christ was announced, everyone started saying “Christ is born!” and wishing each other health, peace, well-being.

On the night of 25 December, the Mass in the Archcathedral Church of Virgin Mary in Minsk was led by the hierarch of the Catholic Church in Belarus, Metropolitan of Minsk and Mogilev Archdiocese Archbishop Jozef Staniewski. In his address he touched upon the theme of mercy and greatness of the human soul. "The human hand is so big that it can hold Bethlehem. The heart is so hot that it can warm the baby Jesus and not only him, but also another person. I wish you all God's grace. I wish that we, like that star, radiate light that attracts people, that leads us to truth, love and harmony," the leader of Belarusian Catholics said.

Perhaps the most awaited was the Christmas message of Pope Francis Urbi et orbi (to the city and to the world), which the pontiff read at noon on 25 December from the balcony of St. Peter's Cathedral after the “Angel of the Lord” prayer. Live broadcasts from the Vatican were watched in all corners of Belarus. The pontiff spoke of people’s reluctance because of the pandemic to “take longer paths of dialogue”, which helps “the resolution of international conflicts and the achievement of common and lasting benefits”. In this regard, the Pope appealed to the Almighty to inspire humanity to find “the best solutions to overcome the health crisis and its consequences”. 

Catholic and Protestant Christmas in Belarus in our photo gallery