Prelate blocked for months by Belarus resigns Minsk post

Pope Francis on Sunday accepted resignation of Minsk’ archbishop who h been blocked for months by Belarusian authorities from returning to his homeland after criticizing a crackdown on anti-government protesters re. Monsignor Teusz Kondrusiewicz, in charge of Minsk-Mohilev diocese, h only returned to Belarus on Dec. 24, just in time to celebrate Christmas Mass.

That was nearly four months after he was blocked entry while traveling back from a religious visit to Poland. impasse ended last month after Francis sent a former Vatican ambassor to Belarus to Minsk to meet with country's authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko.

Church rules require bishops to submit ir resignation ahe of ir 75th birthday, and Vatican said Kondrusiewicz, who turned 75 on Sunday, h done so. pope immediately allowed him to step down. Often popes allow bishops to stay on for months, even years, after turning 75.

day after Kondrusiewicz h tried to return to Belarus, Lukashenko accused him of “delving into politics and dragging believers” into it. Weeks of massive protests h seen Belarus citizens flood into streets in daily protests demand Lukashenko’s resignation.

president’s victory after an Aug. 9 election was widely viewed as fraudulent. Protests have continued in defiance of a brutal police crackdown that has detained more than 30,000 demonstrators. Francis named an apostolic ministrator to he archdiocese for now, Monsignor Kazimierz Wielikosielec, who has been serving as an auxiliary bishop in Pinsk diocese.

(Image Credit: AP)