As part of the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the beginning of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Belarus and the Holy See, the National Library of Belarus held a presentation of the first translation of the Code of Canon Law from Latin into Belarusian on December 15.
The Code of Canon Law is the main legislative document of the Church, promulgated by the Roman Pontiff John Paul II in 1983. The first ever Belarusian translation with a parallel Latin text is considered to be a kind of retelling into canonical language of the teachings of the Second Vatican Council on the nature of the Church and its vocation in the world, on the diversity of service among the Belarusian people and on what values its visible structures should be built on and how they should operate.
The creation of the Belarusian translation of the Code of Canon Law was significant event. The publication contains the canonical legal terminology developed and applicable to the peculiarities of the Belarusian language, certain stable expressions and ways of expressing legislative thought. In comparison with the parallel Latin text, these features allow us to better understand the distinctive features of the church's legal system. The publication of the current Code of Canon Law in Belarusian will significantly help searchers, lawyers, students, and anyone else who wants to learn more about the legal structure of the Catholic Church and its mission in this world.
The event was attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus Sergei Aleinik, Apostolic Nuncio to the Republic of Belarus Archbishop Ante Jozic, Commissioner for Religious and Ethnic Affairs Alexander Rumak, Chancellor of the Metropolitan Curia Priest Canon Dmitry Pukhalsky, Metropolitan of Minsk and Mogiljov Archbishop Jusef Stanewski, representatives of the clergy, the media, the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus and others. Belarusian State University, library staff.
During the presentation, copies of the Code of Canon Law in the Belarusian language were donated to Director General of the National Library of Belarus Aksana Knizhnikava. The publication is a valuable addition to the collection of the main library of the country.
The article is provided by the Public Relations Department.
