Nobel laureate Bialacki meets Pope Leo in Vatican

May 27, Pozirk. Aleś Bialacki, Nobel Prize laureate and head of the Viasna Human Rights Center, has met with Pope Leo XIV in the Vatican, urging attention to the humanitarian catastrophe in Belarus, Chryścijanskaja Vizija reports.
Bialacki told the pontiff about the human rights situation in Belarus, asking for his prayers and support, the initiative noted.
The Vatican’s official websites have not yet reported on the meeting.
Pope Leo XIV received Bialacki and his wife following the general audience, which is held every Wednesday in St. Peter’s Square and draws thousands of believers, Radyjo Svaboda reports. During the audience, Bialacki stood alongside Catholic Church hierarchs in proximity to the Pope.
After the contested 2020 presidential election, the relationship between the current Belarusian authorities and the Roman Catholic Church deteriorated as many clerics and faithful openly condemned violence and reprisals against peaceful protesters. Priests were arrested, tried and jailed, while some have fled Belarus.
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