Society > Religion > Other Confessions
Catholicism, Protestantism, Judaism

Catholicism

There are 2 catholic communities in Kazan and Naberezhnye Chelny led by the clergy from Argentina. Big catholic community acted in Kazan before the revolution. The roman-catholic alliance "Saint Cross Erection Church" in Kazan consists of 150 people. 3 priests and 3 nuns are the members of the Catholic institution "Embodied Faith" created in Argentina in 1982. The Arsk cemetery chapel was given to catholic community in December 1996, and its reconstruction is practically completed. Kazan and Naberezhnye Chelny communities belong to Roman-catholic administration of the South-European part of Russia presently headed by Bishop Clemens Pickle.

Protestantism

There are different protestant communities in Tatarstan: Lutherans, Evangelic Christians-Baptist, Evangelic Christians, Pentecostals, Seventh-day Adventists, New-Apostle Church. Lutheran communities in Kazan and Naberezhnye Chelny created on the base of German communities play a special role. A Lutheran church is under reconstruction in Kazan.

The centralized organizations of Evangelic Christian - Baptist (actual leader is Kazan church " The Way of Salvation", works from the beginning of XX century) and Christians of Evangelic faith - Pentecostals ( the center is Church of Naberezhnye Chelny "Aven-Ezer") were created in 2000.

Judaism

RT President M.Shaimiev with Chief Rabbi of Russia Lazar Berl and republican communities' Rabbi I.Gorelic
Judaic community in Kazan was created in 1897. In 1997, the community was given back a synagogue.
The community conduct the cultural and charities activities: Sunday schools, clubs on interests, various creative collectives work in the community. The community celebrate national holidays "Hanukah", "Purim" and others. The holidays always take place in the best music halls.
Another community functions in Naberezhnye Chelny. The second community works in Naberezhnye Chelny. This organization doesn’t have its own apartment, it deals with cultural - educational work within the framework of national society. Both communities are included in the newly-formed Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia uniting the Chasids. I.Gorelic is the Tatarstan Rabbi. The Chief Rabbi of Russia Berl Lazar visited Kazan in October 2000 and met with Tatarstan President M.Shaimiev.

New religious movements

New religious movements (Ahmadiya, Bakhaiya, Church of the Last Precept (Vissarion), Sahdja-Yoga, Vaishnive (Krishnaits), Saentologs etc. work in Kazan, Naberezhnye Chelny, Almetyevsk and Nizhnekamsk.

The reasons of new religious movements creation are identical all over the world: ideological crisis, "slowness" of traditional confessions, introduction in post-industrial phase of public development. The absence of traditions complicated by the economic and social problems in young cities like Naberezhnye Chelny or Nizhnekamsk also promote the formation of new religious movements in these cities. The new religious movements can be divided into the following groups: east origin, western origin with Russian roots and interconfessional (synthesis of various confessions and cultures).