Local Archbishop Tomasz Bernard Peta spoke about the Pope's visit to Kazakhstan, the Catholic faithful's peculiarities, and the Church's life in this country.
Source: Vaticannews
On September 13-15, Pope Francis will be visiting Kazakhstan. The pontiff will participate in the VII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, which is held every three years. This Apostolic visit will take place in the capital of Nur-Sultan under the slogan "Messengers of Peace and Unity".
In an interview with Vatican News, Archbishop Tomasz Bernard Peta, Ordinary of the Archdiocese of the Blessed Virgin Mary with a seat in Nur-Sultan, spoke about various aspects of the Holy Father's visit, stressing that "we are looking forward to his visit with joy and hope."
According to Archbishop Tomas, Pope Francis' visits are always a historical event, especially in a country where Catholics are a small congregation, only 1% of the population belonging to ten different nationalities and distributed in five dioceses of Kazakhstan.
He believes that being a Catholic here means making mature choices. Recalling his arrival in Kazakhstan in 1990, the hierarch spoke about his experience. "In many cities and villages, there were communities of the faithful. Faith and a sense of belonging to the Church were preserved in places where people prayed the Rosary even during the communist era. This then bore fruit in terms of freedom of religion and conscience after Kazakhstan gained independence in 1991. Parishes were quickly founded, churches and chapels were built," the archbishop says.
As part of the visit, Pope Francis will meet with the authorities and civil society, talk with representatives of various faiths, and pray with the faithful, leading, in particular, the Holy Mass on the occasion of the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
"The Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions is not a platform for a theological discussion. I believe this could be a sign pointing to God as the source of peace. The efforts of politicians, although necessary, are not sufficient. What we need is believers' fervent prayer for peace. The participation of the Holy Father Francis in the Congress takes this event to another level and points to the Church's concern for the peace and well-being of all humanity," Archbishop Tomasz points out.
He says that the war in Ukraine is a great tragedy. "One can call it a wound on the body of all humanity. We believe that the visit of Pope Francis will greatly contribute to ending the war in Ukraine and achieving the long-awaited peace," the hierarch says.