The head of Belarusian Catholics came under sanctions from Lukashenko
Belarusian television will not broadcast the address of the Catholic Metropolitan on Catholic Christmas, as it did in past years. Instead of him
The Orthodox hierarch, Metropolitan of Minsk and Zaslavsky Veniamin will address the believers. The official occasion is the day of remembrance of St. Spyridon.
The head of Belarusian Catholics, Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, was included in the list of those banned from entry, although he is a citizen of Belarus for supporting the protests (the prelate’s passport was revoked). In September, the Secretary for Relations of the Holy See with States, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, came to Minsk to petition for the return of Kondrusiewicz, but the negotiations did not bring any results.
Yesterday, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, appointing Alexander Rumak Commissioner for Religious Affairs and Nationalities, spoke critically of religious leaders, although without naming denominations.
“Let's be honest: some leaders behaved in an anti-state manner. I don’t take people, they have nothing to do with this. Several people have not proven themselves very well. Let's assume we were wrong. Blaming them and not seeing our problems and shortcomings is not our way. We need to figure out what the state has not completed. We do not interfere with people’s faith or feelings, but we must defend our state. All believers and all leaders of faiths live in the Belarusian state,” Lukashenko said.
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