U.S.A. TRIES TO SET REPRESENTATIVES OF ORTHODOXY AND CATHOLICISM AGAINST EACH OTHER—HEAD OF S.V.R.
Interfax-Religiia, 29 September 2020
The director of the [Russian] Foreign Intelligence Service [S.V.R.], Sergei Naryshkin, accused the U.S.A. of interference in the religious situation in Belorussia.
"According to available information, the U.S.A. is also unceremoniously interfering in the religious situation in Belorussia, trying to set representatives of the Orthodox and Catholic branches of Christianity against each other. Trying to drag the Vatican, which for now is exercising restraint, into Belorussian events, the Americans are conducting work for more active participation in antigovernment statements," Naryshkin's statement says, which was distributed by the S.V.R. press service.
Naryshkin noted that "calls are being made to clergy of the Roman Catholic Church to openly express criticism of the Belorussian authorities and to conduct religious events, including sermons, prayers, and processions of the cross, for making oppositional political propaganda among believers."
"According to the Americans' plan, this should goad Minsk into harsh retaliatory measures against the Roman Catholic Church (R.C.C.). According to available information, among the extremist opponents of the current authorities of Belorussia, who are now sheltering abroad, a plan of a provocation is afoot during which one of the authoritative priests of the R.C.C. would be arrested or even wounded or killed. It is calculated that this will cause a substantial increase in the anti-government mood among Catholics and goad them into more active participation in street protests," the director of the S.V.R. emphasized. (tr. by PDS, posted 29 September 2020)
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