(LifeSiteNews) — Belarus has freed two imprisoned Catholic priests after a Vatican intervention.
Priests Henryk Okołotowicz and Andrzej Yukhnevich were released from captivity last Thursday following a series of diplomatic contacts between the Vatican and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
The Catholic Church in Belarus provided details about the release, explaining that it was made possible by Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti’s visit, carried out at the behest of Pope Leo XIV. Gugerotti is the prefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches.
“Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti has been a long-time friend of the Republic of Belarus, who has done a lot for the Catholic Church in our country, for the development of state-church relations and interfaith dialogue,” the Church said in a statement.
“His visit gave a positive impetus to further contacts, an important result of which was the decision of the President of the Republic of Belarus, as a sign of mercy and respect for the Pope, to pardon and release Catholic priests who were serving sentences in places of detention.”
Yukhnevich was facing a prison sentence of 13 years for allegedly abusing minors — charges that the priest denied, and which came after several attempts by the government to incriminate Yukhnevich based on political motivations.
Okołotowicz was charged with “high treason” in late 2024 and was sentenced to 13 years. His sentence was announced with no representatives from his family or the Catholic Church present in the courtroom. The judge who delivered the ruling, Uladzimir Areszko, was known for his “sentences against resistance [individuals].”
In response to his conviction, Okołotowicz wrote from behind bars that “there is not a word of truth, not a single fact incriminating espionage, and the entire accusation is based on lies, threats and blackmail.”
“The whole Catholic Church in Belarus” is on trial, he said, adding that “priests are being persecuted to close our mouths so that the Catholic Church does not tell the truth.”
In addition to acknowledging Gugerotti’s key role, the Catholic Church in Belarus also highlighted the contributions of other Catholic leaders in the country, including Archbishop Ignazio Ceffalia, Apostolic Nuncio to Belarus, and Archbishop Iosif Stanevsky, head of the Roman Catholic Church in Belarus.
