Two Catholic priests from Poland were ordered to leave Belarus by the end of December after officials refused to renew their religious visas. The priests, who had spent more than a decade in the country, were given no reasons for their removal. One of the priests serving in the Minsk-Mogilev diocese has chosen to not fight the deportation. He did so in order to assist in better relations with the Belarusian authorities, since a new priest was recently allowed to enter the country. According to a December 22 report from Forum18, the other priest, Fr Robert Krzywicki, attributes his expulsion to his work with young people in the town and his involvement with other Christian Churches in ecumenical and humanitarian events. The parishioners in the town of Borisov where Krzywicki has been serving have begun a petition calling for the authorities to overturn their decision.
Belarus is the most religiously restrictive nation in Europe. Pray that religious freedom will improve in this country. Pray for the salvation of those in government leadership. Pray that young people will be allowed to hear the good news of Jesus Christ and be brought into a personal relationship with Him.
For more information on the persecution of Christians in Belarus, click here. A video news report filmed in Belarus is also available on the multimedia website, www.vomcanada.com.
