Russian Catholics are outraged by the authorities' decision to open a Philharmonic branch in a Catholic church in Smolensk

Catholics are outraged by the decision of the administration of the Smolensk region to open a branch of the Moscow Philharmonic in the former church building in Smolensk.

18 November 2016, it became known that Russian Catholics outraged by the decision of the administration of the Smolensk region to open in a former building church in Smolensk branch of the Moscow State Academic Philharmonic.

They remind that they demand the return of the building to them. church since 1991 and that they were denied twice, despite the adopted law “On transfer of religious property to religious organizations”.

« The last time the Federal Property Management Agency returned the documents for making corrections and additions to the archival reference on the grounds that in the archival reference the "religious purpose" of the building was not indicated on the building of the "catholic church". The parish has now requested a new archival reference for corrections of said remarks ,” the official statement said. Roman Catholic Archdiocese of the Mother of God in Moscow.

Sources

• Statement in connection with the intention of the Administration of the Smolensk Region to locate the Philharmonic in the building of the Catholic Church in Smolensk // Official website of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of the Mother of God in Moscow. November 18, 2016.