Belarus: officials seal off historic Catholic church in Minsk (Forum 18)

Public authorities in Minsk have sealed off the church of Sts. SImon and Helens, and ordered clerics to remove all parish property from the building, after a small fire damaged a section of the building.

Frustrated parish officials have been unable to obtain an explanation as to why the entire church has been closed, when only a small area was damaged. Nor have they been given any information about when repairs will be possible.

The closing of the 112-year-old church left retired Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz “crying from the hopelessness of the situation,” Forum 18 news service reported.