{"id":136152,"date":"2025-04-29T18:43:46","date_gmt":"2025-04-29T15:43:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/136152\/"},"modified":"2025-04-29T18:46:04","modified_gmt":"2025-04-29T15:46:04","slug":"belarusian-catholics-reflect-on-pope-franciss-legacy-and-hopes-for-his-successor","status":"publish","type":"longreads","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/136152\/","title":{"rendered":"Belarusian Catholics reflect on Pope Francis\u2019s legacy and hopes for his successor"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

On April 26, a funeral ceremony for Pope Francis was held in the Vatican.<\/strong>
The conclave to elect a new head of the Roman Catholic Church will begin on May 7.<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pozirk<\/em> spoke with Catholic priests, faithful and a scholar about the meaning of Pope Francis\u2019s pontificate for Belarus, the changes within the Belarusian Roman Catholic Church, expectations for the new pope and who would be the most suitable choice for the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n \"\"\n
\n
\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

Reprisals: a major issue<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Priest D\u017amitryj Prystupa, who faced persecution in Belarus following the tumultuous 2020 presidential election, now serves in \u0141\u00f3d\u017a, Poland, where he also preaches sermons for Belarusians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He emphasized that the arrest of priests remains a serious issue for the Church in Belarus. One example is priest Hiennad\u017a Aka\u0142atovi\u010d, who was sentenced in a closed trial to 11 years in prison on charges of high treason and \u201cspying for Poland and the Vatican.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another priest, Andrej Juchnievi\u010d, is currently in detention awaiting trial, or may have already been sentenced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asked whether the Vatican is doing enough to help free these and other detainees, Prystupa said:
\u201cAs a Catholic priest, I believe some efforts\u2014negotiations, conversations\u2014are happening behind the scenes. But the Vatican\u2019s capabilities are limited because of the secular Belarusian authorities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFrancis was unable to hear the cry of the suffering Belarusian people\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Priest Pavie\u0142 (name changed for security reasons) told The Viewer<\/em> that Pope Francis\u2019s 12-year pontificate significantly influenced the Belarusian Roman Catholic Church. During this time, seven new bishops were ordained in Belarus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One notable moment, he said, was the 2016 visit to the Vatican by Belarusian authoritarian ruler Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n \"\"\n
\n
\n\n \u0141uka\u0161enka meeting with Pope Francis in 2016\n <\/div>\n \n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPope Francis liked to meet with all kinds of people\u2014prostitutes, those of different sexual orientations. There were hardly any groups he didn\u2019t engage with. In that sense, he demonstrated his willingness to meet with those whom the world rejects.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, Pavie\u0142 believes the Vatican fell short.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe can say with confidence that Pope Francis ultimately failed to hear the cry and pain of the suffering Belarusian people\u2014or the silence of political prisoners, including imprisoned priests and those who died in silence behind bars. Belarusian priests and believers see this and feel disappointed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He hopes the next pope will bring a shift in the Vatican\u2019s approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMaybe the Vatican will finally see Belarus\u2014not just \u0141uka\u0161enka and the regime, or \u2018Russia\u2019s strong culture,\u2019 but the Belarusian people. Recognize that they have a right to exist, to be free and to pray in Belarusian. Why not?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAfter 2020, the Church\u2019s room to maneuver shrunk significantly\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Catholic activist Mikhail (name also changed for security reasons) recalled that although the pope met with \u0141uka\u0161enka in 2016, the relationship failed to progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cClearly, there were obstacles,\u201d he said, pointing to the lack of a concordat between the Belarusian Roman Catholic Church and the government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cForeign priests still had to renew their service permits every six months, churches were not transferred to Church ownership and the situation in Babrujsk remained unresolved. After 2020, the regime showed just how far it could go,\u201d he said in a reference to the arrests and the closure of the Red Church in Minsk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his view, the Church under Pope Francis operated within pre-established limits, and no major breakthroughs occurred in Church\u2013state relations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGoodwill from the Vatican alone wasn\u2019t enough,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He noted that today\u2019s priests face enormous pressure and are restricted from voicing moral principles or supporting the marginalized\u2014the poor and imprisoned\u2014as Christ commanded and as Pope Francis often preached.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next step\u2014expulsion of Polish priests<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Priest Andrej remarked that if Belarus were not geographically part of Europe, authorities \u201cwould probably be shooting people without hesitation today.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But he doubts the Vatican will openly criticize the Belarusian regime under a new pope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRussia has a strong grip on Belarus, and the country is dependent on it. It will be difficult for any pope to speak out without risking further harm. The authorities have already shown what they are capable of\u2014they\u2019ve imprisoned priests and seized the Red Church. The next step could be expelling Polish priests or closing more churches.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best choice for Belarus<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Academic Piotra Rudko\u016dski, who holds a master’s degree in theology from the Dominican Collegium in Krakow, observed that under Pope Francis, all bishops in Belarus were replaced to strengthen the Church\u2019s spiritual foundation, integrate it into national culture and enhance its social engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He suggested that Ukrainian Cardinal Mykola Bychok would be the ideal pope for Belarus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe not only has a personal interest in our region, but also valuable pastoral experience that benefits the global Church. He worked with youth and served in Ukraine, Russia and Poland\u2014he understands the context. He would be a strong, relevant voice for our region. Unfortunately, his chances are slim.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rudko\u016dski said Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin is more likely to be elected. \u201cHe\u2019s a high-class diplomat, skilled in balancing dialogue with principle.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also identified Claudio Gugerotti as a strong candidate for Belarus and the region:
\u201cHe knows Belarus well. He served as nuncio in Minsk (2011\u20132015), spoke Belarusian, and quoted our literary classics. He engaged not only with officials but also with the faithful\u2014and people listened. He wasn\u2019t afraid to express empathy for political prisoners, even publicly when necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also read: Vatican\u2019s polite rhetoric on Belarus might disguise tension \u2013 expert<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On April 26, a funeral ceremony for Pope Francis was held in the Vatican.The conclave to elect a new head of the Roman Catholic Church will begin on May 7. Pozirk spoke with Catholic priests, faithful and a scholar about the meaning of Pope Francis\u2019s pontificate for Belarus, the changes within the Belarusian Roman Catholic […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":66,"featured_media":135305,"template":"","rubric":[22],"class_list":["post-136152","longreads","type-longreads","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","rubric-theviewer"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nBelarusian Catholics reflect on Pope Francis\u2019s legacy and hopes for his successor | Pozirk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"On April 26, a funeral ceremony for Pope Francis was held in the Vatican.The conclave to elect a new head of the Roman Catholic Church will begin on May\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/136152\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta 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