{"id":135310,"date":"2025-04-22T22:26:11","date_gmt":"2025-04-22T19:26:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/135310\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","slug":"vaticans-polite-rhetoric-on-belarus-might-disguise-tension-expert","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/135310\/","title":{"rendered":"Vatican’s polite rhetoric on Belarus might disguise tension \u2013 expert"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n\n The image of Pope Francis at the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary\n <\/div>\n \n
\n (Pinsk Diocese)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

April 22, Pozirk<\/em>.<\/strong> Polite rhetoric coming out of the Holy See during its official contacts with Minsk disguises tension, Piotra Rudko\u016dski, a Belarusian theology scholar, has told Pozirk<\/em>, commenting on the Vatican’s relations with Belarus under the late Pope Francis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The tension “likely stemmed from the Vatican’s principled position on some issues,” including “the mysterious\u201d arrest of Priest \u0141azar on high treason charges during Francis’ pontificate in the summer of 2013, he said. “Nothing like this had ever happened before.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Second, in 2015, after persistent media inquiries, the nunciature in Belarus confirmed that the pope personally petitioned for the release of political prisoners.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Third, Pope Francis replaced all top Roman Catholic bishops to ensure “greater engagement in the Belarusian national culture and increased civic consciousness.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It is unlikely that this has pleased the regime,” Rudko\u016dski noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fourth, after 2020, reprisals against Roman Catholic priests create the impression that the regime has special grievances against the Vatican, he said, noting that the Vatican is not always willing to settle these grievances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Furthermore, a few weeks before his death, Pope Francis appointed Ignazio Ceffalia as apostolic nuncio to Belarus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Two things are interesting here. First, the appointment was made on March 25. Freedom Day might be a mere coincidence (the Catholic Feast of the Annunciation is on the same day), but another circumstance seems more important: Ceffalia has diplomatic experience in Venezuela, a country where the political situation is much more complicated than in Belarus but is also similar in many respects,” the expert said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“There is an official, public aspect of relations and there is an unofficial, non-public one. The rhetoric of mutual understanding and constructive cooperation dominated the official and public dimension,” Rudko\u016dski noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Commenting on potential changes in relations between Belarus and Vatican after Francis’ passing, he said the outcome of the conclave is unpredictable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A completely unexpected person can be elected, so the foreign policy priorities can change. “Based on some probabilities, I see it this way. The continuity of Francis’ policy toward our region would likely remain under Pietro Parolin and Matteo Zuppi from Italy or Marc Ouellet from Canada,” he predicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are also strong candidates from Africa who may continue Francis’ pursuit of social justice and fight against poverty, but they may have a narrow focus on Belarus, he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio) died yesterday of a stroke, followed by a coma and irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse, Vatican News reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the state media, the book of condolences is open at the Apostolic Nunciature in Belarus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Juzaf Stanie\u016dski, leader of the Roman Catholic Church in Belarus, has called on Belarusians to pray for the soul of Pope Francis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shortly before his death, the pope called on the world to free prisoners of war and political prisoners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Roman Catholic Church is the second-largest Christian denomination in Belarus. There are some 1.5 million Catholics, including more than 10,000 Greek Catholics, in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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