December 29, 2006

Today parishioners of a Roman Catholic church in the village of Lazduny Hrodna region has announced an indefinite hunger strike. Elderly women Veranika Sklyapovich, Yanina Krapinskaya and Yanina Silvanovich seek from authorities permission for a priest from Poland Mariusz Ilaszewisz to continue work in their church.

A month ago the authorities haven't extended permission to stay and work in Belarus for 7 priests from Poland, referring to the fact that graduates of local Catholic theological schools cannot find job.

Believers have collected about 12,000 signatures in support of their priest and sent a delegation to Minsk to the chairperson of the department of religions and nationalities of Minsk city executive committee Anatol Hulyaka. They had been promised that the matter would be sorted out. Recently they received a negative answer, Radio Svaboda informs.

As a result, three parishioners went on a hunger strike.

As we have informed, in the beginning of December a hunger strike of Catholics took place in Hrodna. They demanded a permission to build a church.

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