Abstract

Belorussification is explained as the process of change of direction of the
local Roman Catholic Church from Polish national to Belarussian. It aims
to becoming an independent Church as the religious standalone institution
on the area of the autonomous Republic of Belarus. In practice it primarily
means the change of the language used in the local Church. It causes an
opposition on the part of the faithful (mainly from the older generation)
and the Union of Poles in Belarus.
The dispute about belorussification incorporates political, identity, historical
and practical issues. The Synod of the Archdiocese of Minsk-Mohilev,
Pinsk and Vitebsk in 2000 ordained both languages (Polish and Belarussian)
as languages of the Roman Catholic Church in dioceses participating in
the synod in Belarus. It depends on priests’ decision in what language they
communicate with faithful and celebrate the church liturgical services.
Basically the priests want to fulfill their role as pastors and hence they
choose the language suitable to communicate with the faithful – Belarussian
and even Russian, whereas Polish is used for prayers only where it is
explicitly mentioned. The choice made by them is not dictated by political
organizations, but it is the conscious and calculated decision considering
the neeeds of the faithful, the political correctness and personal attitude
towards missionary work.
The paper is an attempt to respond to the accusation of Roman Dzwonkowski,
Ewa Golachowska and Zdzisław Winnicki who claim that the churches
at present have become a tool of belorussification of Poles, in particular
children and teenagers, by the clergy which has come from Poland. The
subject raised in this thesis aims at explaining the decision of the priests
who choose belorussification, by taking into account their perspective and
the historical-political context.