» 10/10/2011 11:45 RUSSIA Permission to build a Catholic church in Pskov denied According to the archbishop of Moscow the reasons are unjust and he denounces a "deliberate discrimination against the local Catholic community."
Moscow (AsiaNews / Agencies) - After the demolition of the houses of the Sisters of Mother Teresa in Moscow over a "lack of permits," another episode is pitting the Russian authorities against the local Catholic Church. In Pskov, north-west of the country, the city government has refused to renew the building permit for the parish of Holy Trinity. The reason given for the refusal is "the non-commencement of construction before the permit expired", which violates the Russian Federation Building Code.
The motivation, however, was greeted with "astonishment" by the Archbishop of the Mother of God in Moscow, Mgr. Paolo Pezzi, who in a statement released by the website of the archdiocese expresses "the impression of deliberate discrimination against the Catholic community of Pskov".
According to the prelate, thanks to the work of the rector, the help of many donors and the efforts of the faithful, the church building began more than 10 years ago and part of the complex, the house of the parish, has already been completed . This is the only Catholic church in Pskov. The local community is very active in the social field for the disabled and orphans, beyond professed beliefs.
Archbishop Pezzi denounces "the impression of deliberate discrimination against the Catholic community of Pskov" and calls on the provincial and city authorities to "cooperate to arrive at a just resolution of the issue." (N.A.)
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