If Europe forgets God

The mission of the rejuvenated Church, after 70 years of persecution, is to share her experience of the years under the Soviet regime, so that West European States may learn what it means to renounce God. It’s the portrayal of the Belarus Church made by a national protagonist, Msgr. Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, archbishop of Minsk, interviewed by SIR Europe. What is most urgently felt at the moment? “The Catholic Church is working to establish her structures. There are now 4 dioceses, and a Bishops’ Conference was set up. The two seminaries are attended by some 90 seminarians, while 40 seminarians are being formed in the religious orders’ seminaries, amounting to 130 seminarians. Catholic faithful in the Country amount to approximately 1.5 million. Today 400 parishes are officially registered in Belarus, as provided for in the national legislation. Of 460 priests 290 are Belarus citizens, while until 20 years ago there were no more than 60 Belarus priests. Unfortunately there are very few churches. For example in Minsk, Belarus’ capital, that counts 2 million inhabitants, 300 thousand of whom are Catholic, there only 4 churches -old and located in the town centre – are to be seen. But thanks God we were granted authorization to erect 8 new churches. We must also meet the need to cover financial expenses, but churches are longed for, especially in the new neighborhoods. There is also the need for documents in Belarus. We have already translated all liturgical books, although not all have been printed for a lack of technical and financial means. But great effort has been made. There are 7 Catholic newspapers (at diocesan and national level) and three publishing houses, along with a website (www.catholic.by) which is very popular, since it is has 14 thousand visitors a day”. How do you explain this rebirth?“In order to understand it is necessary to look at our past. Despite the persecutions our ancestors were people of faith, and their hope was rooted in faith, which they preserved even under the atheist Communist regime, with neither churches nor priests. They preserved their faith by saying the Rosary, with prayer, and with faithfulness to traditions. I cherish many memories. When we gathered in the family in the evenings, we would all kneel to pray, and immediately after our parents would teach us children Catechism. I still remember that in the town where I was born there wasn’t a priest, and nonetheless the Church was open on Sundays for individual prayers, since Mass could not be celebrated. This faith was passed down to the young generations. When the walls collapsed and the borders were opened, people recovered their profound religious commitment. Even young people show signs of deep religious zeal. Hundreds take part in the pilgrimages to our shrines. Every Sunday many people attend initiatives promoted by the faithful themselves in Minsk’s Cathedral”. What is the major lesson of your past?“For decades we lived in a system that wanted to eliminate God. But the dreams promised by the ex-Soviet leaders were not accomplished, thus proving that it is good to build not only on material things but also on a solid spiritual foundation”. The Pope in Spain also said that Europe can’t live without God. In this Europe, what is the contribution of Eastern Countries? “First of all we can share the witness of our brothers who clung to their faith until their death during the hard years of persecution. We must tell Western Countries what it means to take God away from history and civilization, and that happiness doesn’t depend on how much one has, but on those goods that no one can strip us of. It’s a witness of faith, prayer, and spiritual life. It’s also the witness of the martyrs. I am grateful to Benedict XVI for having created a new evangelization dycastery, which Europe needs. It is necessary to re-evangelize European populations, those nations where God was forgotten, where the Gospel is not known, where Christianity has been put aside. An ongoing secularization process is in dire need of giving birth to new evangelization. As a bishop of the former Soviet Union I cannot refrain from reminding European populations about the spiritual desert brought about by the atheist regime”.