With the blessing of the Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus, Metropolitan Veniamin of Minsk and Zaslavl, a round table meeting on "Practical fulfillment of monastic vows in modern conditions" was held at the Elisavetinsky Convent in Minsk on August 16, 2026.
The event was organized by the Synodal Department for Monasteries and Monasticism of the Belarusian Exarchate. The meeting was attended by the vicars, hegumens and abbesses of the metropolitan and diocesan monasteries of the exarchate. The round table was led by Bishop Porfiry of Lida and Smorgon, Chairman of the Synodal Department.
Before the start of the round table, a Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the monastery church in honor of the Imperial Icon of the Mother of God. Bishop Porfiry led the divine service. His Grace was accompanied by the confessor of the Elisavetinsky monastery, Archpriest Andrey Lemeshonok, and guests of the monastery in holy orders. At the end of the Liturgy, the meeting participants moved to the meeting room of the Ark Monastery Spiritual and Educational center.
Bishop Porfiry addressed the audience with an introductory speech. His Eminence noted that monasticism, based on the evangelical ideals of obedience, non-covetousness and chastity, retains its spiritual relevance and serves as a source of prayerful support for the Church. "It is in trials that our faithfulness to Christ is determined," said the bishop. — What is it expressed in? In an effort, despite all temptations, to faithfully observe the commandments of Christ without compromise, while for a monk they are monastic vows." Vladyka Porfiry described the various temptations that can occur on the monastic path, emphasizing that a monk is called to be faithful to his vows, not only when everything is going well in his spiritual life, but also when he sees the depth of his sinfulness, his falls and impotence. In this case, faithfulness to the vows is expressed in not despairing, having boldness and hope in God.
Abbess of the Spaso-Euphrosyne Metropolitan Convent in Polotsk, Abbess Evdokia (Levshuk), made a presentation entitled a quotation from the Gospel of Matthew: "... And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20). "The essence of monasticism remains unchanged in any epoch," Abbess Evdokia (Levshuk) recalled. — It is a feat of unceasing conversion of mind and heart to God. A monk is someone whose heart lives and breathes in the name of Jesus Christ, and it would be a mistake to think that in ancient times everything was easier, but now it has become harder, or vice versa."
The external forms of temptations that we face are changing, the abbess said in her speech, but monasticism is timeless. And although every century poses its own challenges to monasticism: first persecution, then dogmatic disputes, then secularization and, finally, the total accessibility of everything in our days, however, the Lord's call remains eternal at all times: "If anyone wants to come after Me, deny yourself, and take up your cross and follow Me" (Matthew 16:24).
Abbess of the Nativity of the Mother of God Convent in the Brest fortress Abbess Alexandra (Zharin), Abbess of the Tadulin Convent of the Vitebsk diocese Abbess Hilaria (Bolt) and Abbess of the Myrrh-Bearing convent of the Bobruisk diocese Abbess Paraskeva (Yelskaya) also spoke.
At the end of each report, there were suggestions that could contribute to solving various problems of modern monasticism.
The monastic meeting ended with a common prayer.