Cardinal Sviontek asks to bring the priest deported for his criticism towards Belarus’ government back

Apostolic administrator of diocese of Pinsk cardinal Kazimir Sviontek applied to chairperson of Rechytsy district executive committee (Gomel region) Aliaksandar Baranau asking to change the resolution and register the catholic service of dean of the local church Grzegorz Hudek, a Polish citizen.

In his application, K.Sviontek thanked the head of the local administration for the Dazhynki feast held in Rechytsy this year: “You have remarkably renewed the town, as well as Orthodox and Catholic churches. Priest Grzegorz Hudek has also contributed to the restoration of the Catholic church. He has been serving the spiritual resurrection of Belarus for 14 years; 10 years has he spent reconstructing a Catholic church in Rechytsa. And just one insufficiently considered conversation with Polish journalists was enough to deport him. That was his only mistake for all the time of impeccable service.”

During his recent trip to Poland, G.Hudek gave a somewhat harsh commentary on the situation in Belarus in an interview to Polish journalists. He’s prohibited to hold service from November 21.

Cardinal K.Sviontek asked A.Baranau to solicit “the authorities in charge for a new resolution on registration for Belarusian service of priest Grzegorz Hudek.”