MINSK
CATHOLICS
CONDUCT PROCESSION TO HALT "PERSECUTION OF CHURCH" AND RETURN
KONDRUSIEWICZ
Interfax-Religiia,
14
September 2020
A
procession of the
cross involving believers of all Catholic parishes of Minsk was
held on Friday
evening in the Belorussian capital on the territory of the
church of the Holy
Trinity. Participants prayed for an end "of persecution of the
church" and for a return to the motherland of Archbishop Tadeusz
Kondrusiewicz.
As the
official
website of the Roman Catholic Church in Belorussia reports, the
procession of the
cross was initiated by believers of the oldest Catholic parish
of Minsk, led by
its rector, Yury Sanko, and the joint prayer was led by the
vicar general of
the Minsk and Mogilev archdiocese, Bishop Yury Kosobutsky.
"Bishop
Kosobutsky declared that the illegal prevention of the return of
Archbishop
Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz strikes a blow at the entire Catholic
community of our
country, which has been left without a pastor," the report says.
In his
sermon during
mass, Kosobutsky focused attention on the necessity of spiritual
work on one's
self and the impermissibility of judging others, as Jesus
taught. "Noting
that Viktor Tsoi's song, which sings about the striving for
changes, has
recently become very popular again, the hierarch said that
everybody should
begin these changes in themselves, from their heart. He said
that this is aided
by prayer, solidarity, and a generous attitude toward all people
without
exception, including those who offend us," the report says.
As
reported, on 31
August the head of the Roman Catholic Church in Belorussia,
Archbishop Tadeusz
Kondrusiewicz, was refused entry into the republic from Poland,
without
explanation of the reasons.
Belorussian
President
Alexander Lukashenko declared that Kondrusiewicz was not
permitted into the
country because "he received an assignment on the Polish side."
Later
the Conference
of Catholic Bishops declared that the prohibition on entry into
the republic
for Archbishop Kondrusiewicz, who is a citizen of Belorussia,
violates current
legislation. (tr. by PDS, posted 14 September 2020)
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