Belarus

Belarus archbishop refused reentry, warns nation faces civil war
- Sep 1, 2020
The president of the Belarusian bishops’ conference has been barred from reentering his country from abroad, after warning in a pastoral letter that the nation’s worsening crisis could spill into civil war.

By Jonathan Luxmoore
Belarus shifts crackdown tactics, detains strike leader
- Aug 31, 2020
Belarus’s authorities on Monday detained a factory strike organizer and a leading opposition activist, part of a methodical effort to stifle weeks of protests against the country’s authoritarian leader after an election the opposition says was rigged.

By Yuras Karmanu
Catholic leaders in Belarus protest after police block entrance to church
- Aug 28, 2020
Catholic leaders in Minsk protested after law enforcement agencies blocked the entry of Sts. Simon and Helena Church and later arrested protesters who had fled inside to avoid police.

By Catholic News Service

Beating peaceful demonstrators is ‘grave sin,’ says Belarusian archbishop
- Aug 17, 2020
WARSAW, Poland — Bishops in Belarus demanded an end to repression and confirmed Catholic clergy and laypeople were beaten and jailed during street protests following disputed Aug. 9 elections. “The beating of peaceful demonstrators who want to know the truth, their cruel treatment and inhumane detention, is a grave sin

By Jonathan Luxmoore

After election in Belarus, Catholic leaders urge restraint, dialogue
- Aug 11, 2020
Catholic leaders urged dialogue and restraint in Belarus, amid violent street clashes following a contested Aug. 9 presidential election.

By Jonathan Luxmoore
Jehovah’s Witnesses case spotlights religious freedom issue in Russia
- May 21, 2020
A U.S. official praised Belarus for releasing a member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses that Russia wanted extradited.

By Catholic News Service
East European Catholics draw lockdown parallels with communist rule
- Apr 16, 2020
Although Catholics in most East European countries have backed measures to control the COVID-19 pandemic, for some it has also revived painful memories of communist rule. Sensitivities over church closures have also surfaced in Western Europe, where some Catholics have questioned the right of civil authorities to prohibit religious worship.

By Jonathan Luxmoore
Catholic leaders condemn bulldozing of crosses at site of executions
- Apr 13, 2019
Catholic and Orthodox leaders condemned the bulldozing of memorial crosses at a site of communist-era mass executions.

By Catholic News Service