RUSSIA RELIGION NEWS


Lukashenko explains entry refusal of head of Catholic Church

LUKASHENKO: IN BELARUS CATHOLIC CHURCHES HAVE FUNCTIONED AND THEY WILL FUNCTION

BELTA, 1 September 2020

 

In Belarus, Catholics have functioned and they will function. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko declared this to journalists today, a correspondent for BELTA has transmitted.

 

The head of state emphasized that each Belarusian must have his own road to the church. He declared that he would not permit any attack on any kind of church in the country.

 

The president said that inter-confessional peace is the pride of Belarus.

 

Journalists questioned why yesterday Metropolitan of Minsk and Mogilev Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusevich was unable to enter Belarus and none of the agencies will comment on this situation. In connection with this the head of state emphasized that this matter is now being carefully studied.

 

"I cannot say that I have complete information; it is continually changing. We are now closely monitoring all persons entering and exiting [the country—tr.]," Alexander Lukashenko emphasized.

 

The president described how the head of the Catholic Church suddenly left for consultations in Warsaw and, after receiving certain assignments, returned to Belarus and wound up on the no-entry list, which Belarus and Russia share in common. "He's not the only one. It is simply that he is the better known figure," Alexander Lukashenko explained, saying that information had appeared about the possibility that Tadeusz Kondrusevich has more than one citizenship. "We are investigating; I am not confirming this. We want to study the question. If everything there is clear and according to the law, we will act according to the law. It doesn't matter to us who he is, the head Catholic, the head Orthodox, or the head Muslim. He must live according to the law. And if you also butt into politics and drag in after you believers, Catholics, who are wonderful people, then you are doubly responsible," the head of state noted.

 

"Have a look. We did not close Catholic churches, even if they were conducting anti-Lukashenko and anti-state propaganda," the president continued. "We did not close them. On the contrary, we are trying to support and defend them. You saw this on the square (Independence Square, where the Red Church is located—BELTA note). Sure, there was fake news that we did not allow people into the Catholic church," Alexander Lukashenko continued, referring to representatives of OMON to the effect that they were protecting those who were praying in the church from the crowd of demonstrators.

 

"No matter the personalities there (Kondrusevich, Lukashenko, and the like), the Catholic churches were functioning and will function, because prayer, and believers, and their road to the church—this is sacred. I have always said that each Belarusian must have his own path to the church and we will sacredly observe this," Alexander Lukashenko assured.

 

The head of state also noted: "We never will permit any attack by the state on a Catholic or Orthodox church, on Muslims or Jews—whoever it may be. Because that is our pride—confessional peace, ethnic peace. We have always prided ourselves on this and we will pride ourselves."

 

At the same time the president expressed the opinion: "All of this will pass. Here they're marching along the streets and saying that there's half a million of them, a million, and the government will fall. Listen, if there were a million, I wouldn't be here talking with you." (tr. by PDS, posted 1 September 2020)


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