A plenary meeting of the Coordinating Group of Monastic Abbots of Belarus was held in Minsk with the participation of bishops

On April 27, the Christian Social Center hosted a plenary meeting of the Coordinating Group of Senior Abbots, delegates and representatives of male and female monastic communities and societies of apostolic Life in Belarus.

The plenary session began with a joint experience of the Holy Mass. The delegation was headed by Metropolitan Archbishop Jozef Staneusky of Minsk-Mogilev. Archbishop Alexander Yasheusky SDB, who is responsible for the pastoral care of institutes of consecrated life and societies of apostolic life at the Conference of Catholic Bishops in Belarus, also prayed together in Kananebra.

Archbishop Staneusky uttered God’s word, in which he recalled the teachings of Popes John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Francis regarding monastics and their special vocation to holiness through promises of purity, obedience and squalor, which makes monastic life similar to Christ.

The hierarch also drew attention to the value of using” facial muscles”, meaning a smile through which a monastic face can attract people to God.

After the end of the Eucharist, a working session of the plenary assembly, which was joined by the Apostolic Nuncio to the Republic of Belarus Archbishop Ante Jozic, began. At the beginning of the meeting, in his opening speech, the representative of Pope Francis in our country stressed the importance of the plenary meeting as a space for sharing experiences and better coordination of monastic life in the local church.

Archbishop Jozic also stressed that monastic life has a special task and role: through the charisms received and full dedication to the Lord, to enrich and build a church, as well as to become a witness to the Church.

The Apostolic Nuncio noted that monastic persons do not exist for themselves or for their monastic institutions, but in the church and for the Church.

The next speaker, who was Bishop Yasheusky, drew the attention of the abbots and representatives of monastic communities to the sphere of permanent formation, which is continuous growth, which includes the recognition and acceptance of new elements, the improvement of professional skills and development for ministry in real life.

The hierarch also stressed the importance of the initiatives organized by the Coordinating Group of Monastic Communities for the purpose of permanent formation.

After listening to the speeches of the hierarchs, the participants began the working part of the meeting, where the activities of the Council of the Coordination Group, events and activities were presented. In addition, current affairs were discussed, elections of new advisers from the Grodno Diocese and the Minsk-Mogilev Archdiocese were held, and other organizational issues were resolved.

Special attention of the participants was attracted by the presentation of the priest Viktar Gaidukevich SDB and Anrei Karaleu, which was the summing up of the educational year on the project of improving the competencies of monastics, where the participants were presented, as well as the topics of working groups and prospects for development, which is promoted by this formational program.

In conclusion, each of the participants was given the opportunity to speak out, ask questions to the hierarchs and hear suggestions from their side. In general, the climate at the meeting was creative and working.

Saying goodbye, the participants expressed hope that this meeting would bring good results for monastic life in Belarus and for the whole Church in our country.

The plenary meeting ended with a joint prayer and blessing, which was given to the assembled hierarchs present.

S. Marcelina Migach ISSM / Catholic.by