BISHOP VLADIMIR FEKETE TOOK PART IN THE IV PLENARY SESSION OF THE CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS OF CENTRAL ASIA
From April 28 to May 4, 2025, the IV Plenary Session of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Central Asia was held in the Archdiocese of the Blessed Mary in Astana, in the National Sanctuary of the Queen of Peace in Ozernoye. The meeting was attended by bishops and ordinaries of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan. The Apostolic Prefect of the Catholic Church in Azerbaijan, Bishop Vladimir Fekete, also took part in the plenary session. The Apostolic Nuncio to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, Archbishop George Panamtundil, was present in the opening parts of the sessions.
The bishops and ordinaries of Central Asia prayed for the eternal rest of the late Pope Francis, as well as for the sending of the Holy Spirit upon the cardinals of the Holy Catholic Church, who will take part in the conclave on May 7 to elect the new Successor of Peter.
During the general sessions, key issues concerning the life and mission of the Catholic Church in the region were considered and discussed: the official registration of the Conference of Bishops of Kazakhstan, participation in the Synod dedicated to synodality, the proclamation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Queen of Peace as the main Heavenly Patroness of Central Asia, as well as the declaration of the sanctuary of the Queen of Peace in Ozernoye as an international spiritual pilgrimage center. The prospects for the activities of the Interdiocesan Higher Theological Seminary in Karaganda were discussed, including the possibility of its affiliation with the Catholic University of Navarra in Pamplona (Spain). Particular attention was also paid to the development of the Catholic Information Service of Central Asia and other important aspects of evangelization and pastoral ministry in the context of the modern cultural and socio-political reality of the region.
On May 3, a meeting of Catholic ordinaries of Central Asia with representatives of the clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church took place in Astana. On behalf of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, the Catholic delegation was received by Archimandrite Sergiy. This meeting became an important step towards deepening fraternal interfaith dialogue and witnessing to Christian unity.
The next day, May 4, the ordinaries, together with the faithful, gathered in the Cathedral of the Archdiocese of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Astana for common prayer, asking for God’s blessing, peace and unity for all the peoples of the region. The heads of the local Churches of Central Asia called upon all the faithful to intensify their prayers for the gift of peace, for repentance, mutual forgiveness and understanding, entrusting the entire long-suffering world to the prayers of the Most Holy Theotokos, Queen of Peace.
