<p>Christian dissidents in Belarus, an eastern European country closely allied with Vladimir Putin and the Russian Federation, have published a collection of unanswered appeals to the Vatican about the atmosphere of repression in their country, highlighting a growing disillusionment with papal diplomacy.</p>
Belarus officials have been accused of intimidation after the Church of Sts. Simon and Helena, popularly dubbed the Red Church, was ordered to close following a suspicious Sept. 26 blaze.