Belarusian President Lukashenko visits with Pope Benedict
April 27, 2009
Pope Benedict XVI met on April 27 with President Aleksandr Lukashenko of Belarus, whose pro-Russian regime has frequently been accused of stifling all rivals to the Russian Orthodox faith. The Vatican announced after the meeting that the conversation had centered on "the relationship between faith and reason," inter-religious affairs, and particularly "the peaceful coexistence characterizing relations between the Catholic and Orthodox communities."
Relations between the Vatican and Belarus have warmed in the past year; in June 2008 Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican Secretary of State, visited Minsk and met with Lukashenko, who issued an invitation for Pope Benedict to visit. Cardinal Bertone accepted the invitation on the Pope's behalf, although no date has been set for the papal trip.
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Further information:
- Holy Father receives President Lukashenko of Belarus (VIS)
- Belarus, Vatican seek broader ties - Belarusian diplomat (Interfax)
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