Lukashenka allows Russia-born Metropolitan of Minsk not to take Belarus citizenship
Alyaksandr Lukashenka, Metropolitan Philaret (C), Metropolitan Pavel (R)
President Alyaksandr Lukashenka allowed the head of the Belarusian Orthodox Church not to receive a Belarusian passport, because it is not necessary for Russian citizens, Metropolitan Pavel said during a visit to the House of Representatives where the Belarusian leader was delivering a speech today.
“Belarusians should serve here although foreigners are infinitely devoted to our nation and state. I have been promoting this idea, especially, in relation to Catholics, since the very first days of my presidency. And there has been big progress: many Belarusians have become Catholic priests,” Lukashenka said at the meeting with the Synod of the Belarusian Orthodox Church in late September.
In December 2013, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church took a decision to dismiss Metropolitan Philaret (Vakhromeev) of Minsk as Metropolitan of Minsk and Patriarchal Exarch of Belarus. Metropolitan Pavel (Ponomarev) of Ryazan, a citizen of Russia, who had never had any connection to Belarus before, was appointed on this position.
At the beginning of his service Metropolitan Pavel expressed readiness to be admitted to the citizenship of Belarus. His saying that Russian people have weapons of mass destruction and atomic bomb, and can ‘open Chernobyl tap’ in their struggle against Western enemies shocked Belarusian media-space.
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