Фото: catholic.by
The special envoy of Pope Leo XIV, Prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Eastern Churches, Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, has arrived at St. Benedict’s Cathedral in Pinsk. The Pinsk Diocese of the Roman Catholic Church is celebrating its centenary, with main festivities taking place in Belarus from October 24 to 26 in Pinsk and Brest.
According to BelTA, the cardinal expressed hope that the pontiff would be able to visit Belarus in the future.
“It comforts me to be able to look into your eyes. Despite all the hardships and trials, you always preserve your dignity. This is what I want to tell the Pope. I also want to convey to him all your greetings and prayers,” he said. “Let us hope that in the future he will be able to see you in person and see what I have seen during my visits here.”
Greeting the congregation, Gugerotti said he felt at home in Belarus.
“The Pope has given me a special gift by sending me as his envoy to this celebration. Because here, I feel at home. When I look into your eyes and listen to what you say — I understand Russian, and a little Belarusian — I feel great joy in my heart. It is wonderful to celebrate feasts and see smiles on people’s faces,” he said.
“Wars, endless hardships, and violence in the world seem to disrupt God’s design for the world He created. We often ask: what is happening? Where are wisdom, reason, mercy, and love? Where have they gone? Because we were born of God, whose name is love. Every time we see violence and evil, it feels like a jolt of electricity inside us,” the cardinal added.
The papal envoy called for peace, unity, love, and kindness.
“You are a calm and peaceful people, and that is your strength. You are humble and hardworking. People beyond Belarus love you for who you are, because you are honest, sincere, and open,” the prefect noted.
He addressed Belarusian church leaders and emphasized that he has “very warm memories” of his time serving as Apostolic Nuncio to Belarus, Catholic.by reported.
The cardinal noted that the Pinsk Diocese has played an important role in the history of the Church in Belarus.
“It is very important for me to look into your eyes so that you can feel how deeply the Pope loves you, how proud the Catholic Church is of you today, and to let you feel the heart of the Church, which beats all around the world,” the outlet quoted him as saying.
He also greeted the Apostolic Nuncio to Belarus, Archbishop Ignazio Ceffalia, emphasizing that he is the pontiff’s permanent representative in the country.
“I ask you to pray for the Pope. He told me that he is learning how to carry out his new ‘work’ and asks for your help in doing it well (…) because being the Pope in today’s world is not easy,” he said.
The Mass and consecration ceremony were led by Bishop Antonio Demyanko, with the participation of bishops from across Belarus. Among the official guests were Deputy Head of the Brest Region Viktor Rafalovich, Commissioner for Religious and Ethnic Affairs Alexander Rumak, as well as officials from the city and district of Pinsk, according to the Brest Regional Executive Committee.
The prefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches, Gugerotti, was appointed special papal envoy to the celebrations in Belarus. Ahead of his visit, he met with Yury Ambrazevich, Belarus’s ambassador to the Holy See.
Claudio Gugerotti is a well-known Vatican diplomat. He has served as Apostolic Nuncio in several countries, including Belarus from 2011 to 2015. He later visited the country as a special envoy of the pontiff in 2020 and 2023.