Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 7
Trend:
As Pope Francis was concluding the trip of the Caucasus, his last stop was the capital of the predominantly Muslim Azerbaijan, the country’s Ambassador to the US Elin Suleymanov wrote in an article published in the Washington Times.
In Baku, the pontiff was received with full honors and welcomed by cheering crowds representing the nation’s small Catholic flock as well as more numerous Muslim and Jewish communities, according to the article.
“While a papal visit to the once-Soviet Caucasus is significant in itself, visiting a modern, secular Muslim nation like Azerbaijan sends an especially profound message,” reads the article. “Even more significant is the fact that this was already a second papal visit in Azerbaijan’s 25 years of independence: Pope John Paul II visited Baku in 2002.”
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev recognized the significance of the visit by describing it as “historic” and reiterating the nation’s commitment to upholding the long-standing traditions of inclusiveness and tolerance, the article noted.
Ilham Aliyev stated that Azerbaijan is proud to be home for its citizens of all faiths and to serve as “both a geographic and a spiritual bridge between East and West,” reads the article.
This sentiment was echoed by Pope Francis, who spoke of his joy seeing “the cordial relations enjoyed by the Catholic, Muslim, Orthodox and Jewish communities,” Suleymanov wrote in his article.
Having celebrated the Holy Mass at Baku’s Church of Immaculate Conception, the pope visited the Heydar Mosque, where he met with Azerbaijan’s Muslim, Jewish and Christian leaders, according to the article.
In today’s world, Azerbaijan sets an example and provides hope, a notion reflected by Pope Francis, Suleymanov wrote in his article.
“Friendly relations and coexistence here are important for peace in the world as this shows that adherents of different confessions can live together in sincerity, mutual respect and cooperation for common goals,” the newspaper quoted Pope Francis.
Warm welcome for the pope and wide acceptance of his message in Azerbaijan underscore the crucial role of education, as well as traditions of tolerance and diversity in rejecting radicalism and extremist ideologies, reads the article.
Of course, another key element is the genuine commitment of Azerbaijan’s national leadership to upholding and promoting such traditions, the article noted.
Yet, developing the enormous potential of the Caucasus is undercut by the ongoing unresolved conflicts, including the long-lasting Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, according to the newspaper.
Pope Francis called for peace in the region and addressed the hundreds of thousands of refugees displaced as a result of Armenia’s occupation, Suleymanov wrote in his article.
“I wish to express my heartfelt closeness to those who have had to leave their land and to the many people who suffer the effects of bloody conflicts,” the newspaper quoted Pope Francis.
Before departing Baku, Pope Francis visited the hilltop memorial to those, who died defending Azerbaijan’s independence and integrity, according to the article.
“Walking along the memorial to lay the wreath, the pope saw the names of men and women of different ethnicities and faiths, who gave their lives when their common home, Azerbaijan, was attacked,” Suleymanov wrote. “This, too, is a reminder that our nation’s diversity and inclusiveness makes us more joyful when we celebrate and stronger when we face hardship."