{"id":144118,"date":"2025-06-25T18:52:39","date_gmt":"2025-06-25T15:52:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/144118\/"},"modified":"2025-06-25T18:53:25","modified_gmt":"2025-06-25T15:53:25","slug":"lukasenka-looking-for-vaticans-assistance-in-mending-ties-with-europe","status":"publish","type":"longreads","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/144118\/","title":{"rendered":"\u0141uka\u0161enka looking for Vatican\u2019s assistance in mending ties with Europe"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka has invited the pope to Belarus but keeps up pressure on the Roman Catholic Church.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n \"\"\n
\n
\n\n Vatican\n <\/div>\n \n
\n (pxhere.com)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Minsk hopes for a reset<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka is seeking to reset his relations with the West as his government faces severe sanctions and increasing pressure from Moscow to expand its influence in Belarus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In what appears to be a diplomatic overture, the Belarusian ruler has pardoned over 300 political prisoners in the past year, including prominent opposition activist Siarhiej Cichano\u016dski. Minsk views the Vatican as a potential facilitator in this effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u0141uka\u0161enka is aware of the Holy See\u2019s diplomatic weight\u2014it helped mediate the 2014 rapprochement between Havana and Washington. He met Pope Benedict XVI in 2009 and Pope Francis in 2016 as part of Minsk\u2019s broader efforts to ease tensions with the West, attract economic benefits and improve its international reputation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The latest outreach may include gestures such as reducing the intimidation of Catholic clergy and civil society activists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Repression continues<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to data from the Varieties of Democracy project, incidents of persecution of religious organizations in Belarus rose by 50 percent between 2020 and 2024. The country now experiences a higher level of religious repression than the average in the post-Soviet region, which is already known for frequent violations of religious freedom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Attacks on religious communities in Belarus and the region (0-100 scale)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belarus – yellow<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eastern Europe and Central Asia – blue<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n \"\"\n
\n \n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Many Belarusian Catholics critical of the regime have expected the Vatican and local church leaders to take a stronger stand against the ongoing repression, which has persisted since the contested 2020 presidential election. Instead, they have often been met with cautious and diplomatic language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a controversial move, the Vatican’s Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Ante Jozi\u0107, presented his credentials to \u0141uka\u0161enka in November 2020\u2014just as most Western nations cut diplomatic ties with the Belarusian leader.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two years later, in November 2022, the Vatican issued a commemorative stamp marking 30 years of diplomatic relations with \u0141uka\u0161enka\u2019s regime. Belarus is now preparing to open its first embassy to the Holy See in September 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belarusian Ambassador Juryj Ambrazievi\u010d has indicated that Minsk may soon sign a formal agreement with the Roman Catholic Church to codify its autonomy\u2014likely as part of a broader attempt to leverage the Vatican\u2019s global soft power and communication channels to mitigate international isolation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For its part, the Vatican maintains diplomatic ties with autocratic regimes to preserve lines of communication and maximize its soft power. Its mild public rhetoric often masks behind-the-scenes negotiations and informal agreements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Behind closed doors<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What goes on behind the scenes remains speculative, but it is safe to assume that relations between the Vatican and Minsk are more complex than they appear in official photos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There have been several surprising developments under Pope Francis. In 2013, Belarusian authorities arrested Priest U\u0142adzis\u0142a\u016d \u0141azar despite apparently cordial relations between Minsk and the Catholic Church. The Vatican remained silent for a time but ultimately secured his release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2014 and 2015, \u0141uka\u0161enka pardoned all political prisoners\u2014reportedly after quiet negotiations in which the Vatican played a role, though it acknowledged this only after persistent media inquiries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2020, the Vatican helped facilitate the return of Archbishop Tadeu\u0161 Kandrusievi\u010d from Poland to Belarus. However, it was later unable to prevent the closure of the Red Church in Minsk or the imprisonment of several priests, some of whom received lengthy sentences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although the Vatican avoided public criticism of the Belarusian regime, tensions between the two sides clearly escalated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the past 12 years, the Vatican has replaced every bishop in Belarus. Most notably, Archbishop Kandrusievi\u010d of the Minsk-Mahilo\u016d Archdiocese\u2014who publicly condemned police brutality during the 2020 protests\u2014was succeeded by Juzaf Stanie\u016dski, a representative of the pro-Polish wing of the Church who avoids political statements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His appointment appears to have been a compromise between the Holy See and the Belarusian regime. Still, the Vatican made many of these personnel changes unilaterally, without consulting Minsk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In March, Pope Francis appointed Ignazio Ceffalia as the new apostolic nuncio to Belarus. Ceffalia previously served in Venezuela, a country with an authoritarian regime that bears similarities to Belarus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New policy under Pope Leo XIV<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Pope Leo XIV held his first official meetings on May 18, receiving Peruvian President Dina Boluarte and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. These choices suggest that the new pontiff may adopt a more pro-Ukrainian stance than his predecessor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before his election, Cardinal Robert Prevost had publicly condemned Russia\u2019s \u201cimperial invasion\u201d and its crimes against humanity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Prevost was not especially outspoken on civil rights during his tenure in Chiclayo, Peru, he did acknowledge the gravity of the 2022\u20132023 protests there, stating: \u201cI asked to stay in Peru… it was not the time to leave.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His election could signal a shift in the Vatican\u2019s approach to authoritarian regimes like Belarus, though it remains to be seen whether that will translate into a more assertive policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka has invited the pope to Belarus but keeps up pressure on the Roman Catholic Church. Minsk hopes for a reset Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka is seeking to reset his relations with the West as his government faces severe sanctions and increasing pressure from Moscow to expand its influence in Belarus. In what appears to be […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":143806,"template":"","rubric":[22],"class_list":["post-144118","longreads","type-longreads","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","rubric-theviewer"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n\u0141uka\u0161enka looking for Vatican\u2019s assistance in mending ties with Europe | Pozirk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka has invited the pope to Belarus but keeps up pressure on the Roman Catholic Church. 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