The Holy See announced today that Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Archbishop Kondrusiewicz, the archbishop of the Belarusian capital of Minsk. Kondrusiewicz has criticized Belarusian President Vladimir Rukashenko and the government for their violent treatment of protesters.
Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz was banned from entering Belarus until December after he publicly called for Alexander Lukashenko’s ouster while on vacation in Poland last August.
It remains unclear whether Kondrusiewicz’s resignation was unexpected by the Vatican. The Holy See only said in a brief statement that his resignation was in line with the rules governing the retirement of bishops who have reached the age of 75.
In a radio interview in Poland, Kondrusiewicz, a Belarusian citizen, called on the Belarusian police to stop the violence against demonstrators and demanded that strongman President Rukashenka step down.
Rukashenko was re-elected in last August’s presidential election, but the Belarusian opposition claimed the election was fraudulent and he has since faced a wave of demonstrations calling for his ouster. Rukashenko accused Kondrushviz in November of plotting to “destroy the state.
Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, a leading Belarusian opposition figure, tweeted today that Kondrusiewicz will lead the last Sunday service of his career later today. She wrote that “Belarus” is “truly blessed” to be guided by Kondrusiewicz during this difficult time.
Tikhanovskaya’s supporters claim that she is the real winner of the presidential election. But she has fled to Lithuania since the election.
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