'Year of Mercy' Procession in Minsk

The procession walked from Nezalezhnastsi to Svabody Square.

Some catholic churches across the world, Belarus are among them, open "Holy Gates" and "Doors of Mercy".

On December 13 Minsk Church of Saints Simon and Helena (the Red Church) held a sacred service, Minsk dwellers heard an excerpt of the bulla where the Pope proclaimed the Year of Mercy. Then believers held the procession in Valadarskaha and Kamsamolskaya Str. to the Cathedral of the Holy Name of Mary in Svabody Sq., where the "Doors of Mercy" were opened, Belsat TV channel reports.

Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusevich headed the procession with several thousands of believers. God's Mercy icon was in the head of the procession. Then the hierarch opened "Holy Doors of God's Mercy" in the Cathedral of the Holy Name of Mary.

The icon was installed at the high altar in the cathedral. This is the only copy of the shrine in the Holy Trinity Church in Vilnius and was painted in the beginning of the last century. In Minsk this icon is in the construction site of the Divine Mercy Sanctuary in Loshytsa. Every day people pray at 3 pm, Radio Svaboda reports.

Doors of Mercy will be opened in some catholic churches of Minsk, Mahileu, Budslau, Hrodna, Lida, Vitsebsk, Braslau, Pinsk, Homel, Baranavichy and Brest.

Year of God's Mercy proclaimed by the Pope has started on December 8 - 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council that was "an act of mercy to catholic church and mankind." The pope has opened the Holy Gates in the St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican, BelaPAN reports.

The Holy Gates open only during the Year of Jubilee that is proclaimed by the Pope. Passing-through forgives sins confessed. During the history of the Catholic Church the Holy Gates were opened only in the St. Peter's Basilica, church of Santa Maria Maggiore, St. Paul's outside the Walls, St. John Lateran Archbasilica in Rome. However, this year for the first time the Pope has permitted to open "the Doors of Mercy" in some dioceses, catholic churches and sanctuaries.