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Pope to visit Kazakhstan to promote interreligious dialogue and peace
As Pope Francis is preparing to fly to Kazakhstan on Tuesday (Sep 12), participate in the 7th Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in Nur-Sultan, while showing his closeness to the country's small but fervent Catholic community.
The Holy See Press Office said Pope’s 38th Apostolic Journey abroad on 13-15 September will be the Holy Father's latest gesture to promote peace in the world with the help of religious leaders.
Matteo Bruni, the Director of the Holy See Press Office, noted that this is yet another gesture in a papacy full of interreligious efforts.
With his visit next week, Pope Francis follows in the footsteps of his predecessor, St. John Paul II who travelled to Kazakhstan shortly after the September 11 attacks on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon in the United States.
The Central Asian nation will be the 57th country the Pope Francis has visited.
Kazakhstan gained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
The variety of ethnicities and religions in Kazakhstan has given its people an important experience in interfaith harmony.
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The historic interaction of different cultures which met in the heart of Eurasia has allowed for spiritual values to influence social harmony and relations between people.
The Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions has been one of the most important Kazakh initiatives of peace and interfaith dialogue on a global scale.
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