BELORUSSIAN CATHOLICS DENY REPORT ABOUT U.S. INTERFERENCE IN RELIGIOUS SITUATION IN REPUBLIC
Interfax-Religiia, 30 September 2020
The vicar general of the Minsk-Mogilev archdiocese, Bishop Yury Kosobutsky, denied reports that the Roman Catholic Church (R.C.C.) allegedly is being used by external forces for political purposes.
"In some news media information was published which was reported by the head of foreign intelligence of Russia, Sergei Naryshkin. This is fake; it is absurdity. He spoke about some provocations to the effect that the United States of America, the C.I.A., and other organizations are trying to use the Catholic church for undermining the state structure in our country," Kosobutsky said, who is quoted on Wednesday on the website of the R.C.C. in Belorussia.
"This is a complete absurdity, fake information, a lie, having nothing in common with truth. . . . This is information that must be treated with a pinch of irony," Kosobutsky added.
In his opinion, the statement about attempts of a foreign influence on the R.C.C. may be somehow connected with its position. "Today the Catholic Church in Belarus speaks truth about the situation in the country, speaks against violence, and calls people to solidarity, to unity, harmony, peace, and forgiveness," the bishop declared.
It was reported that the director of the S.V.R. [Russian Intelligence Service], Sergei Naryshkin, accused the U.S.A. of meddling 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 involvement of Catholic priests in antigovernment statements," Naryshkin's statement says, which was distributed by the S.V.R. press service on Tuesday. (tr. by PDS, posted 30 September 2020)
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