From an entry in the Historical Dictionary of Belarus (Zaprudnik, 1998; pp. 75-76):
"In 1983, the BAOC split into two groups of parishes: one headed by Metropolitan Mikalay (in Toronto, Canada), the other by Metropolitan Iziaslau (in Brooklyn, New York). The church has been active in preserving Belarusan national traditions, publishing prayer books in Belarusan, and introducing the Belarusan vernacular into liturgy."
(Note: In the preceding excerpt, terms in bold refer to other entries in the Historical Dictionary of Belarus. The Historical Dictionary of Belarus is an important summary of the history of Belarus.)
"Yury, patriarch of the World American Patriarchy and chief hierarch of the Belarusian Autocephalous Orthodox (Popular) Church, arrived in Belarus early this week."
"During a news conference at the The Belarusian Language Society (BLS) in Minsk on July 23 [1999], Patriarch Yury said that he had come to the country to promote spiritual values among Belarusians who strive for an independent Belarusian church and independent Belarus."
"Yury visited a number of communities in Western Belarus and attended a liturgy in the Parish of Saint Euphrosyne of Polacak in the village of Pogranichny near Bolshaya Berestovitsa. He also met with parishioners in Grodno, Slonim, and Zelva."
"The Belarusian Autocephalous Orthodox (Popular) Church has 11 parishes in the Grodno, Vitebsk, and Gomel regions. Three parishes are about to be established in Minsk. According to Yury, his organization cooperates with all congregations in the West, stands for sisterhood of Orthodox churches in Belarus, Russia, and other countries and believes that every nation 'should have its own national church.' "
"The organization has failed to come to an agreement with the Belarusian Exarchate but plans to continue attempts to establish contacts with other religious confessions in Belarus. In particular, Patriarch Yury plans to meet with Protestant and Catholic clergymen. After the news conference, he and other hierarchs visited the place of the May 30 tragic stampede in Minsk. Patriarch Yury plans to stay in Belarus until July 26."
"In the Hrodna (Grodno) eparchy of the Russian Orthodox Church, local Bishop Arthemy and some other high-ranking clergymen demand the urgent confession of apostasy from a priest of the Belarusian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (BAOC) from the village of Pogranichny, father Yan Spasouk. However, Father Spasouk admits only one sin -- he joined the national renaissance movement too late."
"The address of Bishop Arthemy and 20 senior priests of the Hrodna eparchy to Father Spasouk reads that he is linked 'with one of the apostate church formations.' According to the priests, Spasouk had thus 'violated the oath which he had taken before the Gospel and the Holy Cross on the day of his ordination.' "
"For having committed those sins, Father Spasouk was banned three years ago from ministering. Now the church leadership threatens him with harsher measures. The address states that given he doesn’t repent of his sins by November 22 [2001] and doesn’t stop deceiving the gullible believers, the assembly of the Hrodna eparchy clergy will deprive him of his religious title."
"In response, Archpriest Yan Spasouk released his own address to the believers, in which he confessed that he should have joined the struggle for the reanimation of the Autocephalous church long before he actually did, struggling for the Belarusian culture and language."
"Yan Spasouk refutes accusations of ministering in a false church. He reminds that back in 1922 the Synod in Minsk proclaimed the Autocephalous church, led by archbishop Melchisedek. In 1923 the famous Moscow patriarch Tikhon recognized them too."
"Father Spasouk claims that at the moment, his church is under the jurisdiction of Archbishop Nikolai of the Belarusian Autocephalous Church of Toronto, so he does not care what decision the Hrodna priests’ assembly would pass today. In his opinion, the clergy of another church has no right to rid him of his holy orders."
"Yan Spasouk asserts that he became target of his former colleagues from the Russian Orthodox Church, because the secular authorities don’t wish to register the independent pro-Belarusian church. Moreover, Father Spasouk says that he was warned that he might well face criminal proceedings for alleged stirring up confessional intolerance."