April 4, Vitebsk /Olga Bogacheva - BELTA/. The Vatican highly appreciates the peaceful coexistence of different confessions in Belarus. This was stated today, in response to a question from a BELTA correspondent, by the Apostolic Nuncio in Belarus, Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti, at a press conference in the Cathedral of Jesus the Merciful in Vitebsk. According to Claudio Gugerotti, the ability of Belarusians to peacefully accept people of different confessions and live without religious conflicts deserves respect and recognition. "My work experience shows that this is not common. I am very pleased when I see good relations between Catholics, Orthodox Christians, and representatives of other confessions in your country," the Apostolic Nuncio emphasized. As a specific example of interfaith harmony prevailing in Belarus, he cited his recent meeting with representatives of the Orthodox clergy of the Vitebsk region, which left him with the most positive impressions. "Both I and the Holy See highly appreciate the peaceful coexistence of different confessions in Belarus. The position of the country's leadership and local authorities also contributes and helps to this situation. All other parties are also making efforts to maintain a calm interfaith environment," the Vatican representative stressed. Claudio Gugerotti also shared his impressions of Belarus with journalists. "I feel at home here, I see peace and European culture," he said. "Unfortunately, Europe knows very little about Belarus. And this is a great deficiency in European cultural education. This is even more regrettable given the existing problems." Pope Benedict XVI appointed Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti Apostolic Nuncio to Belarus on July 16, 2011. Previously, he served as Apostolic Nuncio to Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. This is a diplomatic position. A Nuncio is a diplomatic representative of the Pope in a country with which the Vatican has diplomatic relations. Claudio Gugerotti is on a two-day visit to Vitebsk. The day before, he met with the leadership of the regional executive committee and the city executive committee, representatives of the Orthodox clergy, visited the Marc Chagall House-Museum, and today he is participating in the festive pre-Easter services in the Cathedral of Jesus the Merciful.-0-

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