Pope: Kazakhstan is an example of civilisation and courage

On the morning of September 21, Pope Francis spoke about the results of his apostolic visit to the Republic of Kazakhstan.

"Last week, from Tuesday to Thursday, I visited Kazakhstan, a huge country in Central Asia, on the occasion of the 7th Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions. I once again express my gratitude to the President of the Republic and other authorities of Kazakhstan for the cordial welcome extended to me and for the generous diligence in its organization. I also sincerely thank the bishops and all the staff for the great work done and especially for the joy that it brought me the opportunity to meet with them and see them all together.

As I have already said, the main reason for the trip was participation in the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions. This initiative has been implemented for twenty years by the authorities of the country, which appears before the world as a place of meeting and dialogue, in this case at the religious level, and thus as a protagonist in promoting peace and human brotherhood. It was the seventh congress in a row. The country with 30 years of independence has already held seven such congresses, every three years. In other words, it placed religions at the center of efforts to create a world where they listen to and respect each other in diversity. This is not relativism, but the ability to listen and respect. This is the merit of the Kazakh government, which, having freed itself from the yoke of the atheistic regime, now offers the path of a civilization that unites politics and religion, without mixing or separating them, unequivocally condemning fundamentalism and extremism. This is the balanced position of unity.

In addition to the congress, this trip gave me the opportunity to get acquainted with the authorities of Kazakhstan and the Church living on this earth.

We celebrated the Eucharist in Nur-Sultan, on the territory of the EXPO-2017 exhibition complex, surrounded by cutting-edge architecture. It was the feast of the Holy Cross, and it makes us think: in a world where progress and regression are intertwined, the Cross of Christ always remains the anchor of salvation: a sign of hope that does not disappoint, because it is based on the love of God, merciful and faithful. We give thanks to him for this trip and pray that it will bear abundant fruit for the future of Kazakhstan and for the life of the Church, a pilgrim on this earth. Thankyou"

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