Greek Catholic Churches in Belarus are Officially Liquidated

On April 9, the Supreme Court in Minsk, Belarus, rejected an appeal by the Greek Catholic Parish of the Brothers Apostles Saints Peter and Andrew to have the order to liquidize all Greek Catholic parishes in the region repealed.

In July 2024, the New Religion Law required all churches to seek re-registration. The law enabled the government to more closely monitor religious organizations for the sake of protecting the country from terrorism and extremism. In 2025, officials of the Brest Regional Executive Committee deemed that several Greek Catholic parishes did not meet the new requirements but did not specify why.

The court ruling gives the country’s final decision regarding the Greek Catholic communities in the area. When asked about the reasoning behind the decision, several court officials and Press Secretary Yuliya Lyaskova refused to answer. Forum 18 called the Head of the Executive Committee’s Ideology to find out what these communities will have to do moving forward.

“I can’t give you any commentary by phone — unfortunately,” he said. When asked why he could not give an answer, he said, “Because I’m a state official,” before hanging up.

According to believers, the court mentioned that these churches pose a “threat to national interests.” Meeting together will furthermore be considered an illegal and punishable action.

The decision affects more than those belonging to the Greek Catholic community. A Polish priest’s license was revoked without an official explanation, leading believers to conclude it was done in response to inviting a priest from a liquidated parish to serve at the church.

The Carkva Telegram channel posts updates regarding the Greek Catholic Church in Belarus. After the court released its decision, it wrote, “We entrust the faithful of the non-re-registered parishes in Brest, Ivatsevichi, and Baranovichi to the intercession of the Mother of God and the Belarusian martyrs and the prayers of people of goodwill.”

Story by Bella Agnello

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