Head of Belarusian Church and Vatican reps discuss possibility of Pope's visit

Metropolitan Veniamin with the Vatican representatives. Photo: the press service of the Belarusian Church

Metropolitan Veniamin of Minsk and Zaslavl received the special envoy of Pope Leo Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti and the Apostolic Nuncio to Belarus Archbishop Ignazio Ceffalia at the Minsk Eparchial Administration.

During the meeting, the parties discussed the situation of Christians in the Middle East and the persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. A separate topic was the possibility of the pontiff's visit to Belarus.

Metropolitan Veniamin emphasized the special significance of such a visit, noting that the Pope is not only the head of the Vatican state but also the leader of the largest Christian denomination. At the same time, the head of the Belarusian Orthodox Church pointed out the need to consider that the majority of believers in the country are Orthodox. The issue of the visit should be discussed with Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and taking into account the opinion of the Synod of the Belarusian Church.

The participants of the meeting noted the importance of maintaining interfaith peace and good neighborly relations amid the escalation of the international situation at the western and southern borders of the country.

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that the Belarusian Church called for prayer before the court hearing on the UOC Metropolis ban.

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