March 14, BPN. On March 13, Aliaksandr Lukašenka congratulated Pope Francis on the anniversary of his Pontificate (he became pope on March 13, 2013).
He said that 2022 “is a special year in bilateral cooperation and in the life of the Belarusians,” as it marks “the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Belarus and the Holy See, the 500th
anniversary of the first prayer book in the Belarusian language, and the 1030th
anniversary of the first Christian diocese in Belarus.”
Lukašenka believes that “the history of relations between Minsk and the Vatican and the activities of the Roman Catholic Church in Belarus demonstrate that it is possible to resolve any issues by dialogue, respect and trust, as well as to strengthen and expand relations.”
“We are proud to remember the past and look forward to the future,” Lukašenka was quoted as saying by his press service. “Belarus shares your appeal to build solidarity, respecting the culture and traditions of the people. I agree with you that the only barrier that can legitimately exist is one against hatred and injustice, threats and the imposition of foreign will. I hope that in the near future we will personally discuss these and other topics.”
Lukašenka was at an audience with Pope Francis in May 2016.
After the 2020 presidential election, relations between the state and the Catholic Church in Belarus were complicated by the fact that many Catholic bishops and believers openly opposed violence on the part of the security forces against protesters who opposed rigged elections.
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