Catholic priest Marian Shershen has been forced to leave Belarus after 36 years of ministry. He is among the Polish priests whose permission to serve in the country was not renewed.

This was reported by Katolik.life.

Marian Shershen served in Naliboki, where he helped restore the local Catholic church. He was featured in state media publications and was widely respected by parishioners. He has now been forced to leave Belarus. The faithful learned of his departure even though no official announcements were published.

It has also become known that Bohuslav Madzeyeuski, dean of the Myadzel Deanery and pastor of the parish in Svir, has been forced to leave Belarus. In Staryya Vasilishki, in the Shchuchyn District, parishioners held a farewell ceremony for parish priest Zbignev Dragula, who had served in Belarus for 27 years.

According to members of the Catholic community, the remaining priests still hope to stay in Belarus and have taken a decisive step by applying for Belarusian citizenship. Officials reportedly made this a condition for Polish priests serving in the Minsk-Mahilyow Archdiocese. If they become Belarusian citizens, they will no longer need a permit to carry out their ministry.

As LF previously reported, three Catholic priests who are Polish citizens and had served in Belarus for many years were forced to leave the country after the authorities refused to renew their permits for continued ministry. All three served in the Vitsyebsk Diocese.

LF also previously reported that two Polish Catholic priests who had served for many years in the Brest Region were forced to leave Belarus.

As previously reported by LF, Catholic priest Anatoliy Parakhnevich, pastor of the parish in Alkovichy in the Vileyka District, was detained. Earlier, state propaganda media mentioned the priest in a negative context following his participation in a reception marking Poland’s Constitution Day at the Embassy of Ukraine in Minsk, attempting to portray his attendance as suspicious.

It later became known that Anatoliy Parakhnevich suffered a heart attack. The 65-year-old priest remains in pretrial detention in serious condition. According to Belarusian Catholics, Parakhnevich has been charged with “treason against the state.” No information has been released regarding the specific allegations. It is believed that he is being held in the KGB pretrial detention center.

LF has also reported that, by decision of the KGB, the property of Catholic priest Henrikh Akalatovich has been seized and sold in Belarus. The priest was convicted of “treason against the state” and released two years later following a petition by the Vatican.

Earlier, a Catholic priest and two Evangelical presbyters were also detained in Belarus.