LAW OF THE REPUBLIC OF BELARUS

of December 17, 1992 No. 2054-XII

About liberty of conscience and the religious organizations

This Law regulates legal relationship in the field of rights of man and citizen on liberty of conscience and religious liberty, and also determines the legal basis of creation and activities of the religious organizations proceeding from:

the rights of everyone to liberty of conscience and religious liberty, and also to equality before the law irrespective of the relation to religion;

equalities of religions before the law;

recognitions of special role of the Belarusian orthodox church in historical formation and development of spiritual, cultural and state traditions of the Belarusian people;

spiritual, cultural and historical role of Catholic church in the territory of Belarus;

inseparability from general history of the people of Belarus of the religious organizations of Evangelic and Lutheran church, Judaism and Islam;

need of assistance to achievement of mutual understanding, tolerance and respect of religious feelings of citizens for questions of liberty of conscience and religious liberty.

Chapter 1. General provisions

Article 1. Tasks of this Law

Tasks of this Law are providing and guaranteeing the rights of everyone to liberty of conscience and religious liberty, on social justice, equality, protection of the rights and legitimate interests irrespective of the relation to religion and religious affiliation, on freedom of consolidation in the religious organizations.

Article 2. Legal regulation of the relations in the field of liberty of conscience, religious liberty and the religious organizations

The relations in the field of liberty of conscience, religious liberty and the religious organizations are regulated by the legislation on liberty of conscience, religious liberty and the religious organizations, and also the international treaties of the Republic of Belarus and other international legal acts containing obligations of the Republic of Belarus.

The legislation on liberty of conscience, religious liberty and the religious organizations is based on the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus and consists of this Law and other acts of the legislation.

If the international treaty of the Republic of Belarus establishes other rules, than those which contain in this Law then are applied rules of the international treaty.

Article 3. The main terms used in this Law and their determinations

In this Law the following main terms and their determinations are used:

church service - set of the religious practices, rituals, cults, ceremonies and other actions which are strictly established by rules and connected with system of the religious representations following from requirements of dogma;

religion - the developed religious doctrine belonging to the corresponding religion, finding expression in cult and extra cult behavior;

sunday religious school - structural division without the right of the legal entity of the religious organization for religious education of children which activities are regulated by the charter of the religious organization;

citizens are citizens of the Republic of Belarus, and also foreign citizens and stateless persons;

orphanage in case of the monastery - the social and pedagogical organization created by the monastery which takes part in implementation of the plan of protection of the rights and legitimate interests of the child and is intended for accommodation of orphan children and children without parental support, aged from three up to eighteen years, persons from among the orphan children and children without parental support studying in organizations of education in day form of education and also performs post-residential escort of the graduates belonging to the category of orphan children and children without parental support, persons from among orphan children and children without parental support;

spiritual educational institution - the religious organization performing training of priests, theologists and religious personnel;

the cult building (construction) - the capital structure (the building, construction) intended for church services, church and religious meetings, religious education, honoring (pilgrimage), and also which is part of monastic or spiritual complex, registered as the real estate unit according to the procedure, established by the legislation;

cult property - objects, other material objects (cult buildings (constructions), church utensils, etc.), necessary for making of church services, religious practices, rituals, cults, ceremonies;

missionary activities - the activities of the religious organization directed to distribution of information on the dogma among the persons who are not members of this religious organization, for the purpose of involvement of specified persons in the list of members of the religious organization, performed by directly religious organizations or the citizens and (or) legal entities authorized by them publicly, through mass media, the global computer Internet or different ways, stipulated by the legislation;

the monastery - the religious organization operating according to the charter in which the men's or female community of the full age citizens who voluntarily chose monastic conduct of life for spiritual and moral enhancement and joint confession of faith lives and performs the activities;

monastic community - the religious organization performing the activities according to the charter, combining on a voluntary basis full age citizens for spiritual and moral enhancement and joint confession of faith;

pilgrim activities - the organization of visit by believers of places of religious honoring (pilgrimage) and the subjects to religious appointment located in the territory of the Republic of Belarus and beyond its limits for the purpose of participation in church services, religious practices, rituals, cults, ceremonies, worship of shrines;

religious activities - the activities directed to satisfaction of religious needs of believers, distribution of religions including by missionary and pilgrim activities, religious education, holding church services, church meetings, reading sermons, training of priests, and also other activities aimed at organizational and material providing of cult practice of the religious organization (the edition and distribution of religious literature, production and distribution of cult objects, production of vestments for priests and other activities);

religious brotherhood and sisterhood, religious mission - the religious organization performing the activities according to the charter, combining on a voluntary basis full age citizens for the purpose of joint confession and distribution of belief, religious education, participation in charity and cases of mercy;

religious education - the type of religious activities directed to informing citizens on features of dogma and cult practice of the religious organization;

religious practices, rituals, cults, ceremonies - set of the actions established by dogma in which religious representations and traditions are realized;

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