Posted:
17.10.2025 09:45:35
Pope Leo XIV invited to visit Belarus
Archbishop Iosif Staneuski of the Minsk-Mogilev Archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church, Chairman of the Catholic Bishops Conference in Belarus, has sent Pope Leo XIV an official invitation to visit Belarus, BelTA reports
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The Belarusian hierarch noted that Pope Leo XIV had been invited to Belarus in his talk with the Belarusian edition of Vatican News.
The Belarusian hierarch noted that Pope Leo XIV had been invited to Belarus in his talk with the Belarusian edition of Vatican News.
On Thursday, October 16th, Pope Leo XIV received Archbishop Iosif Staneuski in a private audience. The meeting between the Chairman of the Catholic Bishops Conference in Belarus and the Pope took place in a friendly atmosphere and lasted about half an hour.
The Belarusian delegation presented the Holy Father with a gift — an icon of Our Lady of Budslav.
Presenting an official written invitation to Leo XIV to visit Belarus was the centrepiece of the meeting. The document was presented on behalf of the episcopate, the clergy and all believers of the country. Archbishop Staneusky, addressing the Holy Father in Italian, noted that all Catholic people of Belarus meet the pontiff through him. The Belarusian hierarch emphasised that 2026 will mark the 35th anniversary of restoration of the Catholic Church’s structures in Belarus, which is a significant date for the local community.
Leo XIV accepted the invitation with a smile and understanding, noting that the calendar for the current anniversary year is extremely busy and events for the next year are already planned. However, the Holy Father gave hope that the invitation would be carefully considered and the response conveyed through the Apostolic Nunciature to Minsk.
The Archbishop of the Minsk-Mogilev Archdiocese stated, replying to the question whether the Belarusian society, particularly the Orthodox majority, for the Pope's visit, “The time has come when the Pope can visit the faithful of the Catholic Church and all the inhabitants of our Fatherland.”
The Belarusian hierarch noted the good relations and dialogue with Orthodox Metropolitan Veniamin, as well as repeated invitations to the Pope from the country’s leadership indicate Belarus' readiness at various levels to welcome the Holy Father.
