The Belarusian Orthodox Church Warns of a Rise in Activity by Pseudo-Religious Groups

The Belarusian Orthodox Church has issued an official statement warning believers about the spread of activities by pseudo-religious organizations whose members pose as Orthodox clergy. These malicious actors actively use disinformation tactics to lure people into sects and schismatic movements. This was reported by , the press service of the Belarusian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate.

According to a statement from the Synodal Information Department, representatives of these groups organize “divine services” in private homes and apartments styled to resemble Orthodox churches. In addition, fraudsters create fake social media pages in the names of real monasteries and clergy, posting distorted information and videos containing slanderous statements against the Church and its clergy.

The aim of these actions is to persuade parishioners to stop attending official churches in favor of secret “underground churches.” In light of this, Church representatives urge believers to exercise particular vigilance: do not share questionable content, and do not base your understanding of church life solely on social media posts.

The main recommendation for believers is to maintain a living connection with the Church: to attend services in person, participate in the Sacraments, and interact with the clergy in official churches and monasteries, while avoiding involvement in the activities of questionable organizations.