The Vatican expresses solidarity with the Belarusian people - Apostolic Nuncio C.Guergotti

April 3, Vitebsk / Olga Bogacheva - BELTA /. The Vatican expresses solidarity with the Belarusian people, said today the Apostolic Nuncio in Belarus, Archbishop Claudio Guderotti, at a meeting with the Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee Alexander Kosinets, BELTA correspondent reports. "One of the main goals of my trip is to emphasize the solidarity of the Vatican. Regardless of the situation, the Holy See will never cease to be in solidarity with the Belarusian people. My diplomatic mission is to support those bridges that, it may seem, have lost their reliability in this difficult time," emphasized Claudio Guderotti. The Archbishop thanked the Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee for the good attitude and confirmation of the goodwill of the Roman Catholic Church in the Vitebsk region, the atmosphere of mutual respect and peace that has developed here between different denominations. He also focused on the authorities' work to ensure a decent standard of living for their people. "The Catholic Church always notes with hope and joy the facts when the authorities care about the well-being of their citizens and do not allow strong social stratification," said the Apostolic Nuncio, assuring that the Roman Catholic Church's decisions will always be aimed at supporting the Belarusian people. During the meeting, Alexander Kosinets noted that the population of the Vitebsk region is a multinational community. Currently, there are 533 religious communities and 17 denominations operating in the region. The Orthodox Church plays a leading role (about 85% of believers). The Roman Catholic Church is second in terms of the number of believers. There are 93 Catholic communities operating in the region, which have their own parishes and 71 Sunday schools. More than 3,000 children and adolescents are involved in the latter. There are construction projects: Catholic churches are being built in Liozno, Dubrovno, Senno, Chashniki. Services are conducted mainly in Belarusian, as well as in Polish and English. "We try to provide all the necessary opportunities for believers so that they can exercise their right to freedom of religion," said the governor. He also noted the significant role of Bishop Vladislav Blin of Vitebsk, who is making significant efforts to develop Catholicism in the region. The Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee highlighted the importance and significance for the region of cooperation with the Roman Catholic Church in providing humanitarian assistance. "The RCC provided humanitarian aid to large families in Braslav: a cargo of over 15 tons was delivered from Germany. It has been distributed," said Alexander Kosinets, thanking the Vatican representative for the support provided in this area. In conclusion, Alexander Kosinets emphasized that a complete balance of all denominations has been established in the Vitebsk region, and local authorities are trying to maintain such a situation. "We do not encroach on other people's lands, we pursue a peaceful policy regardless of people's race and religion. Such an attitude gives our country stability and peace in society," said the governor, expressing confidence that this meeting will contribute to the further development of dialogue between Belarus and the Vatican, which, in turn, will lead to an increase in the spirituality of the population and an improvement in people's quality of life. -0-