Russia refuses visa for Polish Catholic Bishop to enter his diocese

The Polish government demanded that the Russian Embassy in Warsaw explain why Catholic Bishop Jerzy Mazur, on Friday, was detained at the border of the Russian Federation and forbidden to return to his diocese in Irkuck. While spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, Boguslaw Majewski, said that he expected an urgent answer, no explanation has yet been received. What is more, the Russian Ambassador Nikolaj Afansjewski failed to say whether the bishop could return to Irkuck, simply adding that he hoped "that the matter will not create a problem in Polish-Russian relations". Meanwhile, anonymous members of the Russian government quoted by Interfax maintained that the no matter what the reasons for stopping Mazur and Bishop Stefano Caprio were, they should be made public. The incident has been criticized by the representatives of the Vatican and the Catholic Church in Poland. Bishop Jozef Zycinski, said that Russian authorities are treading on religious feelings and are trying to determine religious affiliations. (Zycie, pp. 1, 4; Gazeta Wyborcza, p. 12; Rzeczpospolita, pp. A1, A3