In the Brest Region, the authorities have dissolved all parishes of the Greek Catholic Church. A court ruling refers to an alleged “threat to national interests.”
This was reported by the outlet Katolik.life.
According to the report, on April 9 the Supreme Court of Belarus held a hearing on an appeal filed by a Greek Catholic parish in Brest against a decision by the Brest Regional Court to dissolve the parish. The appeal was not upheld, and a final decision was made to strip the community of its registration.
At the same time, neither the structures of the Catholic Church nor state bodies reported the dissolution of the Parish of the Holy Brothers Apostles Peter and Andrew in Brest.
Moreover, by decision of local authorities, the Greek Catholic parish of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Baranavichy was also dissolved. Together with the parish in Ivatsevichy, which had previously not undergone re-registration, all three Greek Catholic religious organizations in the Brest Region have been eliminated.
The exact official reason for the dissolution is unknown, but in one of the rulings believers noted wording about an alleged “threat to national interests.”
The parish in Baranavichy also filed an appeal, but the result is unknown to the faithful and it was most likely rejected. The community now takes part in Roman Catholic Masses in a church.
Following the dissolution of their organizations, Greek Catholics are unable to hold services in the Byzantine rite or gather independently for prayer in their own churches.
Earlier, we reported that in Belarus the number of religious communities declined after re-registration in accordance with new legislation. In the Mogilev Region, half of the Catholic parishes ceased operations after re-registration. In the Vitebsk Region, 85 Roman Catholic communities remain instead of 94 previously, and in the Brest Region, 60 instead of 66.
As LF reported, the authorities did not permit the former rector of the Catholic parish of the Red Church in Minsk, Father Uladzislau Zavalyuk, to hold a service at the sarcophagus of the church’s founder, Edward Voinilovich.
Earlier in Belarus, a Catholic priest and two evangelical presbyters were detained.
As LF reported, two Polish Catholic priests who had served for many years in the Brest Region were forced to leave Belarus.
As LF reported, in Belarus, by decision of the KGB, the property of Catholic priest Henrikh Akalatovich is being seized and sold. The clergyman was convicted of “high treason” and, after two years, was released at the request of the Vatican.
