Bishop Sipovich new file

53 defined the exact limits of the territory to which the name "Russia" could be applied... He concludes his letter as follows: "The time has come for me personally to defend the Holy Father, because the Ukrainians and Belarusians have begun to discredit the Vicar of Christ". Father Haroshka answered him on 8 December. Among other things he wrote: "It is our duty to tell the cardinals and especially the Holy Father all that ails us. To whom should we address our religious problems if not to him?!". With regard to the Fatima apparition he had this to say: "In my opinion there is nothing more dangerous than when evil human intentions are hidden under the cover of holiness; or, as in this case; under the authority of the Mother of God and the Holy Father. Where, when and in what apparition did the Mother of God use equivocal political terminology? Does the Mother of God know only Russia, and not know Belarus and Ukraine?" Finally: "With regard to your last remark that Belarusians and Ukrainians have begun to discredit the Vicar of Christ, there must be some misunderstanding, because the aim of their letters, reports and even protests... is not to discredit, but to defend the authority of the Holy Father before those who serve Russian interests, and prevent them from using him for their dishonest political ends". Despite this sharp exchange of views, Bishop Sloskans and Father Haroshka remained friends. True to the age-long habit of never acknowledging its own mistakes, the Vatican did not reply to the petitions and letters of Belarusian priests. But there were signs that their demands were noticed. Sloskans was not relieved of the post of Visitor for Russians, but his appointment was allowed to fall into abeyance, especially since Russians themselves were not too keen to have him. On the other hand he played an increasingly important role in the religious life of the Belarusian community. In the beginning of 1953 there at last appeared in Bozhym shliakham and Znic the announcement of Sloskans’s apppointment as Apostolic Visitor for Belarusians (without any mention of Russians). On 14 February the Consistorial Congregation, on behalf of the Pontifical Council for Emigrés (established by Pope Pius XII in 1952), appointed Sloskans Director of Missionaries (chaplains) to Belarusian Emigrés in Western Europe (Director Missionariorum Alboruthenorum in Europa ad Occidentem versa), thus giving him authority also over Belarusians of the Roman (Latin) rite. On the occasion of his 60th birthday a special article on him appeared in Znic , and Bozhym shliakham began to publish Sloskans’s memoirs (edited by Father Haroshka) from 1920s and early 30s, i.e. the period covering his pastoral work as priest and bishop in Belarus, as well as his imprisonment and exile. In 1954 Father Francis Charniauski moved from France to Belgium, where he stayed at the Mont César Abbey in Louvain together with Bishop Sloskans, acting as his Belarusian secretary and at the same time doing pastoral work among the Belarusians in Belgium and Northern France. Belarusian Catholic students at Louvain University used to come to serve at the Bishop’s daily mass. Bishop Sloskans was present at most study weeks of the Belarusian Catholic University Union"Run’". He took a keen interest in the Belarusian students training for the priesthood. In 1960 Bishop Sloskans played a crucial role in elevating Father Sipovich to the bishopric. There was another sign of changing attitude towards Belarusians. In 1953 a young Belarusian from London decided to become a priest and asked the Oriental Congregation to be admitted to the Greek College in Rome, which had strong historical links with Belarus from the 16th century right up to the beginning of the 19th, when the Belarusian Greek Catholic Church was suppressed by Russians. The