Moscow: Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, who was banned from Belarus after angering President Alexander Lukashenko, after hitting the age limit.
The Vatican, in a statement, said Bishop Kazimierz Wielikosielec of the diocese of Pinsk in western Belarus will replace Kondrusiewicz, turned 75 on Sunday.
Bishops are required to submit resignation letters when they turn 75. The letters are addressed to the pope, who decides whether to accept the resignations.
Kondrusiewicz had run roughshod over Lukashenko by backing anti-government protesters, who have been seeking the president’s resignation following a disputed election on 9 August.
The Archbishop was stopped from entering Belarus that month when he returned from an event in Poland.
That event had led to tensions between the Belarus government and the Church, and Vatican had to despatch an envoy to negotiate.
Diplomats held dialogues for over almost five months to secure Kondrusiewicz’s return.
Kondrusiewicz finally returned to Belarus on Christmas Eve, 24 December.
Belarusians are overwhelmingly Orthodox. Small Catholic minorities observe the Roman rite seen in Poland.
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