Vatican’s diplomat: Pope starts every meeting with question ‘How’s Lukashenko’

Pope Francis is regularly interested in how Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko is doing, outgoing Apostolic Nuncio to Belarus Ante Jozic said as he met with the Belarusian leader in Minsk on 22 August, BelTA has learned. The Vatican diplomat thanked for the high assessment of his work in Belarus. “Of course, I am an envoy of Pope Francis but everything I did here I was doing for your society. Not only for Catholics, not only for our Church, but for everyone. And I was very pleased to do this,” he said. Ante Jozic said that every year he came to the Vatican and met with the Pope. “When I walked in, he immediately asked: “How is Lukashenko?” Not “Buongiorno” [“Hello” in Italian], not “Hello”, but “How is Lukashenko?” I have noticed that you two enjoy certain good relations, developed on important good principles,” the apostolic nuncio said.