State Newspaper Respublika Offers Apologies to Catholics

The governmental newspaper Respublika apologized for its recent publications dedicated to the late Pope of Rome John Paul II and the Catholic Church.

It is to be mentioned that in the Respublika’s issue of 15 June Anton Andreyenka’s article under the headline New Crusaders was published. The Catholic Church and Pope of Rome were disgraced in the article and the Pope of Rome John Paul II was accused of having connections with the western secret services and of ‘devilish actions’.

In the same issue the article The Cardinal Was Satisfied was published. The Union of Poles in Belarus demanded the public prosecutors’ office of bringing the author and chief editor of the newspaper to justice. But the editors’ office decided not to let the case be brought to trial.

In today’s issue the editor’s announcement has been published. It is outlined in the article that the author’s viewpoint ‘coincides neither with the viewpoint of the government nor with the viewpoints of the other officials and the newspapers’ staff’.

Respublika apologized to its readers, believers and priests of the t Catholic Church and promised not to publish provoking messages in future.