Opinions & Interviews

Papal Vicar supports idea of establishing Belarusian center in Rome

Photo from the website of the Roman Catholic Church in Belarus

MINSK, 22 October (BelTA) – An idea to set up a Belarusian collegium in Rome was discussed during a meeting between a Belarusian Catholic delegation led by Archbishop Iosif Stanevsky, Metropolitan of Minsk and Mogilev, Chairman of the Conference of Catholic Bishops in Belarus, and Cardinal Baldassare Reina, the Vicar General of the Diocese of Rome, BelTA learned from the website of the Roman Catholic Church in Belarus.

The Belarusian delegation recalled that in 2026, the Church in Belarus will mark the 35th anniversary of the restoration of the Catholic Church structures in the country, a significant milestone for the local community.

In this regard, the proposal previously made during the meeting with the Holy Father was related to the Vicar General of the Diocese of Rome. This idea is to establish a Belarusian collegium in Rome, “an isle of the Homeland” in order to introduce residents and visitors of the Eternal City to Belarus and its Catholic community.

“The discussion was very constructive. The Papal Vicar expressed his commitment to this project and his readiness to begin work on establishing a Belarusian center in Rome,” the statement stated.

The Belarusian hierarchs promised that, after consulting with the Conference of Catholic Bishops in Belarus, they would make every effort in this direction to expedite the Belarusian collegium project.

During the conversation with the high-ranking hierarch, the Belarusian prelates, who had arrived at his invitation, informed him about the visit of pilgrims from Belarus to Rome. These pilgrims will take part in the Jubilee Year celebrations in Rome on 22 October and about their meeting with Pope Leo XIV at a private audience. 

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