ARCHBISHOP PAUL RICHARD GALLAGHER BLESSED THE TERRITORY AND CORNERSTONE OF THE FUTURE CHURCH OF ST. JOHN PAUL II IN BAKU
On December 14, the Secretary of the Holy See for Relations with States and International Organizations, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, who is visiting the capital of Azerbaijan, blessed the territory and cornerstone of the future church of St. John Paul II in Baku.
The consecration ceremony was also attended by the Apostolic Nuncio to Azerbaijan, Archbishop Marek Solczynski, the Apostolic Prefect of Azerbaijan, Bishop Vladimir Fekete, the Chairman of the State Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan for Work with Religious Organizations, Ramin Mammadov, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the Holy See, Ilgar Mukhtarov, Deputy Executive Director of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Soltan Mammadov, Bishop of Baku and Azerbaijan Alexy, the faithful of the Church in Azerbaijan, representatives of the diplomatic corps and the media.
On the same day, a reception was given on behalf of the Apostolic Prefect of Azerbaijan, Bishop Vladimir Fekete, on the occasion of the visit of Archbishop Gallagher and the blessing n of the land plot and cornerstone of the new church.
The event was attended by leaders and representatives of state and public organizations, religious confessions of Azerbaijan, the diplomatic corps and the media.
At the beginning of the event, Bishop Vladimir Fekete addressed the audience with a welcoming speech:
“Dear friends and guests,
It is with great joy that I welcome you all to this reception in honor of our distinguished guest from the Vatican. Monsignor Gallagher has arrived in Azerbaijan to, in addition to his diplomatic duties, conduct a ceremony to bless the land on which a new church dedicated to the memory of Saint Pope John Paul II will stand.
This is a historic moment for the Catholics of Azerbaijan. After decades of darkness, during which atheistic ideology destroyed everything that testified to God, especially churches, mosques and synagogues, we are now living in a new era. Thanks to the wise policy of President Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan is among the countries that value their cultural and spiritual heritage. Ancient mosques and temples are being restored, new spiritual centers are being built.
I am proud to live and serve in a country that values the spiritual dimension of life and seeks ways to pass on its traditions to new generations”, – Bishop Vladimir Fekete noted in his speech.
Speaking at the event, Monsignor Gallagher first of all expressed his sincere gratitude to the President of Azerbaijan Republic Ilham Aliyev for the generous gift of land for the construction of a Catholic church in Baku.
“This occasion evokes a profound sense of history. In 2002, during the Apostolic Journey of Saint John Paul II, President Heydar Aliyev, the late father of the current Head of State, made a historic decision to dedicate a plot of land for a Catholic church here in this very city. Today, we witness a continuation of that remarkable legacy in an equally inspiring way…Dedicated to Saint Pope John Paul II, who in 2002 became the first Successor of Saint Peter to visit this beautiful country, this church will serve as a lasting symbol of the enduring friendship between the Holy See and the Republic of Azerbaijan.”, – said Monsignor Gallagher.
On behalf of the Azerbaijan Republic, Archbishop Gallagher was welcomed by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Fariz Rzayev.
At the end of the official part of the event, the guests were invited to a buffet.
