Christian Vision (Belarus)

Christian Vision
Christian Vision for Belarus
FormationSeptember 9, 2020 (2020-09-09)
Region
Belarus and diasporic communities
Moderator
Natallia Vasilevich
Websitehttps://belarus2020.churchby.info/

Christian Vision for Belarus (Belarusian: Хрысціянская візія, romanized: Chryścijanskaja vizija) is a Belarusian Christian civic group urging the protection of human rights and democratic principles amid the political crisis in Belarus and, since 2022, the war in Ukraine.[1]

The group is a non-governmental organization composed of clergy, theologians and laity of the Orthodox, Greek-Catholic, Roman-Catholic and Protestant Churches in Belarus and its diaspora.[1]

Status and membership

Christian Vision was established on September 9, 2020 as a working group of the Coordination Council, a non-governmental body seeking a democratic transfer of power following the country's disputed 2020 presidential election. The group is interdenominational,[2] and 24 lay and ordained people from Belarusian Christian denominations signed off on its establishment.[3]

The organization is also registered as a public institution in Lithuania under the name Christian Vision for Belarus.[4] Natallia Vasilevich serves as its moderator.

Activities

Christian Vision seeks to monitor and raise awareness about faith-based and political persecution in Belarus,[5][6] as well as acts of violence[7] and unjust detention.[8] Their reports are used to create Russian and English-language reports entitled "Monitoring of the Persecution on Religious Grounds During the Political Crisis in Belarus,"[8] which have been the basis of national and international news reporting.[9][10]

The group has organized laity and clergy in support of nonviolence, restoration of the rule of law and the release of political prisoners.[11][12][13]

The group encouraged theologians,[14] ordained ministers[15] and others in Belarus and abroad to develop a theological reflective perspective on the protests and persecutions in Belarus. One notable example was Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's letter to the Pope Francis in response to his Encyclical.[16]

In March 2022, the group began researching anti-war initiatives in Russia, monitoring the persecution of Christians for their anti-war views and spearheading the Shalt Not Kill (Russia) initiative.

Persecution

The work of Christian Vision has faced pushback from political and judicial authorities in Belarus.

In August and September 2023, two courts in Belarus designated the group's Telegram channel as an extremist material.[17]

In October 2023, the group's Instagram, Facebook and Twitter accounts were recognized as extremist materials by the Kastryčnicki District Court of Vitebsk.

In 2025, Belarusian authorities designated Christian Vision as an extremist group.[18]

References

  1. ^ a b "Christian Vision. About us – Царква і палітычны крызіс у Беларусі". Retrieved 2025-10-17.
  2. ^ "Statement of the Coordination Council "Christian Vision" Working Group". Church and the Political Crisis in Belarus. The Christian Vision Working Group of the Coordination Council. 2020-09-11. Archived from the original on 25 May 2021. Retrieved 2021-06-09.
  3. ^ "Рабочая группа "Христианское видение" – Царква і палітычны крызіс у Беларусі" [The Christian Vision Working Group]. Church and the Political Crisis in Belarus (in Russian). The Christian Vision Working Group of the Coordination Council (published 2021-09-09). 9 September 2020. Archived from the original on 20 April 2021. Retrieved 2021-06-09.
  4. ^ "Christian Vision. About Us". Царква і палітычны крызіс у Беларусі / Church and the Political Crisis in Belarus. Retrieved 2024-08-19.
  5. ^ "The joint statement about the brutal detention of women near the Red Church on September 11". Church and the Political Crisis in Belarus. The Christian Vision Working Group of the Coordination Council. 2020-09-12. Retrieved 2021-06-09.
  6. ^ "Statement of the Christian Vision Group of the Coordination Council regarding the Persecution of Fr Viachaslau Barok". Church and the Political Crisis in Belarus. The Christian Vision Working Group of the Coordination Council. 2020-12-03. Retrieved 2021-06-09.
  7. ^ "Statement of the Christian Vision group of the Coordination Council regarding the death in the Škloŭ prison of a political prisoner Vitold Ashurak". Church and the Political Crisis in Belarus. The Christian Vision Working Group of the Coordination Council. 2021-05-22. Retrieved 2021-06-09.
  8. ^ a b "A Monitoring of the Persecution in Belarus of People on Religious Grounds During the Political Crisis (UPDATING)". Church and the Political Crisis in Belarus. The Christian Vision Working Group of the Coordination Council. 25 February 2021. Retrieved 2021-06-09.
  9. ^ Luxmoore, Jonathan (2021-05-26). "Closed trial, death in prison: Belarus increases pressure on opposition". Crux. Retrieved 2021-06-09.
  10. ^ Luxmoore, Jonathan (2021-04-13). "Belarus Catholic officials silent, but some Catholics show support quietly". Crux. Retrieved 2021-06-09.
  11. ^ "The letter from clergy and laity to the Belarusian Christians". Church and the Political Crisis in Belarus. The Christian Vision Working Group of the Coordination Council. 2020-11-25. Retrieved 2021-06-09.
  12. ^ ""For whenever I speak, I cry out; I proclaim violence and destruction." Open letter from Christians in Belarus". Church and the Political Crisis in Belarus. The Christian Vision Working Group of the Coordination Council. 2020-11-25. Retrieved 2021-06-09.
  13. ^ "Bosse-Huber: "In the solitude of detention, every letter inspires hope". EKD backs letter-writing to political prisoners in Belarus. – Царква і палітычны крызіс у Беларусі". Church and the Political Crisis in Belarus. The Christian Vision Working Group of the Coordination Council. 2021-03-25. Retrieved 2021-06-09.
  14. ^ Deane, David (2021-01-14). "David Deane "A Dictator friendly Pope? Lukashenko and Pope Francis"". Church and the Political Crisis in Belarus. The Christian Vision Working Group of the Coordination Council. Retrieved 2021-06-09.
  15. ^ Barok, Viachaslau (2020-11-15). "Pope Francis, how to stop the war in Belarus. How to stop evil? – Царква і палітычны крызіс у Беларусі". Church and the Political Crisis in Belarus. The Christian Vision Working Group of the Coordination Council. Retrieved 2021-06-09.
  16. ^ Tsikhanouskaya, Sviatlana (2020-12-04). "Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's letter to the Holy Father Francis". Church and the Political Crisis in Belarus. The Christian Vision Working Group of the Coordination Council. Retrieved 2021-06-09.
  17. ^ "Телеграм-канал «Хрысціянская Візія» признан экстремистскими материалами". Reform.news (in Russian). September 11, 2023.
  18. ^ "«Хрысціянская візія», «Палітвязынка» и «БюроМедиа» признаны «экстремистскими формированиями»". Reform.news (in Russian).
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