The Minsk City Executive Committee considered a joint appeal of the religious community "Roman Catholic Parish of St. Simon and St. Helena" and parishioners to hold services in the main hall, the entrance group of the glazed room of the gallery of the Red Church or in the inner courtyard of the church complex.

The answer states that due to the fire on September 26, 2022, it is not possible to hold mass in separate premises of the sanctuary by decision of the authorities.

Regarding the holding of mass during daylight hours in the courtyard of the complex of the church of Saints Simon and Alena, the Minsk City Executive Committee replied that in accordance with the Law of the Republic of Belarus "on mass events", worship services in places specially designated for this purpose under the open sky are mass events.

"According to Article 3.

9 of the Law of the Republic of Belarus "On Mass Events" it is not allowed to hold mass events, including religious ones, at a distance of less than 200 meters from the building of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus," says the letter of the Minsk City Executive Committee to the parishioners of the Red Church.

  • The Red Church was closed to believers and priests by the authorities after the fire incident on September 26.

    Soon the authorities decided to take the building from the parish, citing the need for repairs.

  • By October 12, the parish had to take its property from the building.

    But believers and the priest are not allowed into the church building.

  • Master priest Uladislav Zavalniuk, who has been fasting for more than a week, was praying on the porch near the closed doors of the Red Church on October 11, when uniformed policemen approached him and tried to forcefully pull him away with the demand: "Let's go!".

    The priest asked them not to touch him, and the policemen stopped touching him.

    Security forces prevented the prayer and other people who gathered near the shrine.

  • On October 11, the Catholic community sent an open letter to Lukashenka with a request to allow authorized representatives of the parish to inspect the fire-damaged buildings of the Red Church in Minsk.

    A copy of the letter is posted on the parish website.

  • The parishioners also stated that the fire in the church was not accidental, and sent a request to the Investigative Committee to provide information on the results of the investigation.

  • On October 13, Edward Vainilovich, the founder of the church, turned 175 years old.

    Vainilovich, economic and political figure, memoirist, was born in 1847.

    In 1905–1910, Vainilovich's money was used to build the Red Church in Minsk in memory of his children, Simon and Alena Vainilovich, who died prematurely.