Belarus: government keeps tight restrictions on foreign priests, bars Catholic radio
March 18, 2016
Two Polish Catholic priests have been denied permission to enter Belarus, and although one priest's application is not being reconsidered, the country's Catholic bishops noted that "it's becoming ever more difficult for priests from abroad to come to Belarus," the Forum 18 news service reports.
The government's top religious-affairs official has criticized Catholic priests for allegedly interfering in the political affairs of Belarus, saying that their involvement has been "destructive." He has also charged that some clerics violated the terms of their visas.
The government of Belarus, which maintains close ties with Russia and the Russian Orthodox Church, has consistently sought to limit the activities of other religious groups. To date the government has rejected all efforts to establish a Catholic radio station; no religious community has been able to set up a radio outlet in Belarus.
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