Roman Catholic parish laments poor communication with state on church closure

November 1, BPN. The Roman Catholic parish of Saints Simon and Helena say they are unhappy about the lack of response from authorities to its communications on the Red Church.

“So far, we have not received specific answers to all our appeals to government agencies,” the parish said on its website. “We continue to pray the rosary around the church and home in families.”

The church, Minsk’s historical and cultural site, is officially owned by the state. The parish of Saints Simon and Helena have held services there until recently under a no-fee agreement with Minskaja Spadčyna, a state-run company.

On September 26, a fire alarm went off at the building. The emergency ministry said that the fire damaged an area of about 20 sq. m. No-one was injured, but the authorities locked the church.

Two weeks ago, the Roman Catholic community appealed to Minskaja Spadčyna to allow the parish’s representatives to assess the damage and access their property. They also asked the Investigative Committee for a report on the investigation results, and called on Alaksandr Łukašenka to intervene to prevent the Red Church’s closure.