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Day: October 2, 2016

Pope Francis ends Apostolic Visit to Georgia and Azerbaijan

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has ended his 16th Apostolic Journey Abroad.
The papal plane bringing him back to Vatican City departed from Baku’s International Heydar Aliyev Airport at 7.15pm local time after a brief Farewell Ceremony in the presence of the Azeri Vice-Prime Minister and the Guards of Honor.
He is scheduled to land at Rome’s Ciampino Airport at 10pm local time.
He arrived in Tblisi, Georgia, on Friday 30 September.
The journey represented the second phase of Francis’ trip to the Caucasus, which began on June 24, 2016 with a visit to Armenia. It is part of the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy and the journey has been undertaken in the spirit of promoting peace and bridge building in the Caucasian region.
This international Apostolic Journey is the 153rd Papal Visit abroad in modern time.
Pope Saint John Paul visited Georgia in 1999 and Azerbaijan in 2002.
  
(from Vatican Radio)…

Pope: ‘In this night of conflict, may religions be a dawn of peace’

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has called on Muslim leaders to join him in giving a united response to a conflict-ridden world and to build together a future of peace.    
Speaking on Sunday afternoon to Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazadeh , Grand Mufti of the Caucasus during an interreligious meeting at the end of his apostolic visit to Azerbaijan, the Pope said that today “we are challenged to give a response that can no longer be put off”.
To the Sheikh – who is also the Chairman of the Caucasian Muslims Office – and who received him in the Aliyev Mosque of Baku, the Pope said: “now is not the time for violent or abrupt solutions, but rather an urgent moment to engage in patient processes of reconciliation.  The real question of our time is not how to advance our own causes, but what proposals for life are we offering to future generations; how to leave them a better world than the one we have received”.
And reiterating his appeal: “no more violence in the name of God!”, Pope Francis said it is not opposition but cooperation that helps to build better and more peaceful societies.
“The fraternity and sharing that we seek to increase will not be appreciated by those who want to highlight divisions, reignite tensions and profit from opposition and differences; rather, fraternity and sharing are invoked and longed for by those who desire the common good, and are above all pleasing to God, the Compassionate and All Merciful, who wishes his sons and daughters in the one human family to be ever more united among themselves and always in dialogue with one another” he said.
The Pope also pointed to the important role of religions that, he said, “ are called to help us understand that the centre of each person is outside of himself, that we are oriented towards the Most High and towards the other who is our neighbour”.
“Religion is a compass that orients us to the good and steers us away from evil” he said.
Pope Francis also said that as spiritual leaders “we have a great responsibility, in order to offer authentic responses to men and women who are searching, who are often lost among the swirling contradictions of our time”
On the contrary religions, he said,  help to discern the good and put it into practice and they are called to do so by building “a culture of encounter and peace, based on patience, understanding, and humble, tangible steps”.
“For its part, society must always overcome the temptation to take advantage of religious factors: religions must never be instrumentalized, nor can they ever lend support to, or approve of, conflicts and disagreements” he said. 
“In this night of conflict  that we are currently enduring, Pope Francis said; “may religions be a dawn of peace”.
Please find below the full text of Pope Francis’ speech to the Sheikh and the Representatives of the different Religious Communities of the Country:
    Our being here together is a blessing.  I thank the Leader of the Muslims in the Caucasus, who welcomes us with his customary hospitality, and the local religious Leaders of the Russian Orthodox Church, as well as the Leaders of the Jewish Communities.  Meeting one another in fraternal friendship in this place of prayer is a powerful sign, one that shows the harmony which religions can build together, based on personal relations and on the good will of those responsible.  This is seen, for example, in the tangible help that the Islamic Leader has guaranteed to the Catholic community here on more than one occasion, along with the wise counsel that, in a familial spirit, he shares with that community.  I wish also to highlight the good relations that unite local Catholics to the Orthodox community in solid fraternity and daily affection which are an example for all, as well as the warm friendship shared with the Jewish community.  
    The benefits of this harmony are felt throughout Azerbaijan, a country that distinguishes itself for its welcome and hospitality, gifts which I have experienced on this memorable day, one for which I am truly grateful.  There is here a desire to protect the great heritage of religions and, at the same time, a pursuit of deeper and more fruitful openness.  The Catholic Church, for example, finds a place and lives in harmony among other religions that have far more members, demonstrating concretely that it is not opposition but cooperation that helps to build better and more peaceful societies.  Our being together at this place is also in continuity with the many meetings that are held in Baku to promote dialogue and multiculturalism.  Opening the doors of welcome and integration means opening the doors of each person’s heart and the doors of hope to everyone.  I am confident that this country, “the gateway between East and West” (John Paul II, Address at the Welcome Ceremony, Baku, 22 May 2002), will always cultivate its vocation to openness and encounter, the indispensable conditions for building lasting bridges of peace and a future worthy of humanity.
    The fraternity and sharing that we seek to increase will not be appreciated by those who want to highlight divisions, reignite tensions and profit from opposition and differences; rather, fraternity and sharing are invoked and longed for by those who desire the common good, and are above all pleasing to God, the Compassionate and All Merciful, who wishes his sons and daughters in the one human family to be ever more united among themselves and always in dialogue with one another.  A great poet, a son of this land, wrote: “If you are human, mix with humans, because people go well with each other” (Nizami Ganjavi, The Book of Alexander, I, On his own state of life and the passage of time).  Opening ourselves to others does not lead to impoverishment but rather enrichment, because it enables us to be more human: to recognize ourselves as participants in a greater collectivity and to understand our life as a gift for others; to see as the goal, not our own interests, but rather the good of humanity; to act with neither abstract idealism nor with interventionism, not by harmful interference or forceful actions, but rather out of respect for the dynamics of history, cultures and religious traditions.
    Religions have an enormous task: to accompany men and women looking for the meaning of life, helping them to understand that the limited capacities of the human being and the goods of this world must never become absolutes.  Again, Nizami wrote: “Do not base yourself solidly on your own strength, such that in heaven you will find no resting place!  The fruits of this world are not eternal; do not adore that which perishes!” (Leylā and Majnūn, Death of Majnūn on the tomb of Leylā).  Religions are called to help us understand that the centre of each person is outside of himself, that we are oriented towards the Most High and towards the other who is our neighbour.  In this way, the vocation of human life is to set out towards the highest and truest love: this alone is the culmination of every authentically religious aspiration.  For, as the poet says, “love is that which never mutates, love is that which has no end” (ibid, The Despair of Majnūn).
    Humanity therefore needs religion if it is to reach its goal.  Religion is a compass that orients us to the good and steers us away from evil, which is always crouching at the door of a person’s heart (cf. Gen 4:7).  Religions, therefore, have an educational task: to help bring out the best in each person.  We, as guides, have a great responsibility, in order to offer authentic responses to men and women who are searching, who are often lost among the swirling contradictions of our time.  Indeed, today we observe, on the one hand, the dominance of the nihilism of those who no longer believe in anything except their own wellbeing, advantage and profit, of those who throw life away, having become accustomed to the saying, “if God does not exist then everything is permissible” (cf. F.M. Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov, XI, 4.8.9); on the other hand, we see the growing emergence of rigid and fundamentalist reactions on the part of those who, through violent words and deeds, seek to impose extreme and radical attitudes which are furthest from the living God.
    Religions, on the contrary, which help to discern the good and put it into practice through deeds, prayer and diligent cultivation of the inner life, are called to build a culture of encounter and peace, based on patience, understanding, and humble, tangible steps.  This is the way a humane society is best served.  For its part, society must always overcome the temptation to take advantage of religious factors: religions must never be instrumentalized, nor can they ever lend support to, or approve of, conflicts and disagreements. 
    There is, furthermore, a fruitfulness deriving from the virtuous rapport between society and religions, that respectful alliance which needs to be built up and protected, and which I would like to evoke with an image dear to this country.  I refer to the precious artistic windows that have been here for centuries, crafted simply out of wood and tinted glass (Shebeke).  When they are made using traditional methods, there is a peculiar characteristic: neither glue nor nails are used, but the wood and the glass are set into each other through time-consuming and meticulous effort.  Thus, the wood supports the glass and the glass lets in the light.  In the same way, it is the task of every civil society to support religion, which allows a light to shine through, indispensable for living.  In order for this to happen, an effective and authentic freedom must be guaranteed.  Artificial kinds of “glue” cannot be used, which bind people to believe, imposing on them a determined belief system and depriving them of the freedom to choose; nor is there a need for the external “nails” of worldly concerns, of the yearning for power and money.  For God cannot be used for personal interests and selfish ends; he cannot be used to justify any form of fundamentalism, imperialism or colonialism.  From this highly symbolic place, a heartfelt cry rises up once again: no more violence in the name of God!  May his most holy Name be adored, not profaned or bartered as a commodity through forms of hatred and human opposition.
    We honour, rather, the divine mercy that is given to us, through assiduous prayer and real dialogue, “a necessary condition for peace in the world… a duty for Christians as well as other religious communities” (Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, 250).  Prayer and dialogue are profoundly interconnected: they flow from an openness of heart and extend to the good of others, thus enriching and reinforcing each other.  The Catholic Church, in continuity with the Second Vatican Council, heartily “exhorts her sons and daughters, that through dialogue and collaboration with the followers of other religions, carried out with prudence and love and in witness to the Christian faith and life, they recognize, preserve and promote the good things, spiritual and moral, as well as the socio-cultural values found among these men and women (SECOND VATICAN ECUMENICAL COUNCIL, Nostra Aetate, 2).  This is not an accommodating “facile syncretism”, nor a “diplomatic openness which says yes to everything in order to avoid problems” (Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, 251), but rather a path of dialogue with others and a path of prayer for all: these are our means “of turning spears into pruning hooks” (cf. Is 2:4), to give rise to love where there is hatred, and forgiveness where there is offence, of never growing weary of imploring and tracing the ways of peace.
    A true peace, founded on mutual respect, encounter and sharing, on the will to go beyond prejudices and past wrongs, on the rejection of double standards and self-interests; a lasting peace, animated by the courage to overcome barriers, to eradicate poverty and injustice, to denounce and put an end to the proliferation of weapons and immoral profiteering on the backs of others.  The blood of far too many people cries out to God from the earth, our common home (cf. Gen 4:10).  Today, we are challenged to give a response that can no longer be put off: to build together a future of peace; now is not the time for violent or abrupt solutions, but rather an urgent moment to engage in patient processes of reconciliation.  The real question of our time is not how to advance our own causes, but what proposals for life are we offering to future generations; how to leave them a better world than the one we have received.  God, and history itself, will ask us if we have spent ourselves pursuing peace; the younger generations, who dream of a different future, pointedly direct this question to us.  
    In this night of conflict that we are currently enduring, may religions be a dawn of peace, seeds of rebirth amid the devastation of death, echoes of dialogue resounding unceasingly, paths to encounter and reconciliation reaching even those places where official mediation efforts seem not to have borne fruit.  Particularly in this beloved Caucasus region, which I have very much wished to visit and to which I have come as a pilgrim of peace, may religions be active agents working to overcome the tragedies of the past and the tensions of the present.  May the inestimable richness of these countries be known and valued: the treasures old and ever new of the wisdom, culture and religious sensibility of the people of the Caucasus, are a tremendous resource for the future of the region and especially for European culture; they are goods which we cannot renounce.
(from Vatican Radio)…

Pope praises Azeris for good interfaith and ecumenical relations

(Vatican Radio)  Pope Francis on Sunday praised the people of Azerbaijan for the good relations that exisit between Catholic, Muslims, Orthodox and Jewish communities in the country.
In a speech on Sunday afternoon to political and civil authorities, the Pope expressed his hope that the signs of friendship and cooperation may continue to increase and said they lay the path for peace in the world.  
“These good relations assume great significance for peaceful coexistence and for peace in the world, and they demonstrate that among the followers of different religious confessions cordial relations, respect and cooperation for the good of all are possible” he said. 
The Pope also said “the attachment to authentic religious values is utterly incompatible with the attempt to violently impose on others one’s own vision, using God’s holy name as ‘armour’”.
And he appealed to all so that faith in God may be “a source and inspiration of mutual understanding and respect, and of reciprocal help, in pursuit of the common good of society”.
During the Pope’s visit to the Heydar Aliyev Center in the presence of some 1,000 government representatives, the diplomatic corps and members of civil society, the Pope wrote these words in the ‘Book of Honor’:
“Grateful for the hospitality I have received, I encourage all in this place of meeting and culture to always choose the path of man: openness, respect, sharing ”.
Please find below the full text of the Pope’s discourse to Authorities at the Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku: 
Mr President, 
Distinguished Authorities and Members of the Diplomatic Corps,
Ladies and Gentlemen, 
    I am pleased to be visiting Azerbaijan, and I thank you for your warm welcome to this city, the country’s capital, on the shore of the Caspian Sea, a city which has been radically transformed with new buildings, such as the one where we are meeting.  I am most grateful, Mr President, for the kind sentiments of welcome which you have extended to me on behalf of the Government and Azeri people, and for allowing me to reciprocate your visit, together with your distinguished spouse, to the Vatican last year. 
    I have come to this country full of admiration for the intricacy and richness of your culture, fruit of the contribution of so many peoples who in the course of history have inhabited these lands.  They have given life to a fabric of experiences, values and distinctive features which characterize contemporary society and are reflected in the prosperity of the modern Azeri state.  This coming 18 October Azerbaijan will celebrate twenty-five years of independence.  This occasion affords the possibility of taking comprehensive stock of these decades, of the progress achieved and of the challenges which the country is facing.
    The road travelled thus far shows clearly the significant efforts undertaken to strengthen institutions and to promote the economic and civic growth of the nation.  It is a path which requires constant attention towards all, especially the weakest, and one which is possible thanks to a society which recognizes the benefits of multiculturalism and of the necessary complementarity of cultures.  This in turn leads to mutual collaboration and respect among the various components of civil society and among the adherents of various religious confessions. 
    This common effort to harmonize differences is of particular importance in our time, as it shows that it is possible to bear witness to one’s own ideas and worldview without abusing the rights of others who have different ideas and perspectives.  Every ethnic or ideological identity, as with every authentic religious path, must exclude attitudes and approaches which instrumentalize their own convictions, their own identity or the name of God in order to legitimize subjugation and supremacy. 
    It is my sincere hope that Azerbaijan may continue along the way of cooperation between different cultures and religious confessions.  May harmony and peaceful coexistence be evermore a source of vitality to the public and civil life of the country, in its multiplicity of expressions, ensuring to all men and women the possibility of offering their own contribution to the common good. 
    The world, unfortunately, is experiencing the tragedy of many conflicts fuelled by intolerance, which in turn is fomented by violent ideologies and by the effective denial of the rights of the weakest.  In order to effectively oppose these dangerous deviations, we need to promote a culture of peace, which is fostered by an untiring willingness for dialogue and by the awareness that there is no reasonable alternative to patiently and assiduously searching for shared solutions by means of committed and sustained negotiations. 
    Just as within a country’s borders it is necessary to promote harmony among the various sectors, so too between states it is necessary to persevere wisely and courageously on the path which leads to authentic progress and the freedom of peoples, opening up new avenues that lead to lasting agreements and peace.  In this way, peoples will be spared grave suffering and painful wounds, which are difficult to heal. 
    Mindful also of this country, 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.  I hope that the international community may be able to offer unfailingly its indispensable help.  At the same time, in order to initiate a new phase for stable peace in the region, I invite everyone to grasp every opportunity to reach a satisfactory solution.  I am confident that, with the help of God, and the good will of those involved, the Caucasus will be a place where, through dialogue and negotiation, disputes and differences will be resolved and overcome.  By such means, this area – “a gateway between East and West”, in the beautiful image used by Saint John Paul II when he visited your country (cf. Address at the Arrival Ceremony, 22 May 2002) – will also become a gateway open to peace, and an example to which we can look to solve old and new conflicts. 
    The Catholic Church, even though it has a small presence in the country, is truly present in the civic and social life of Azerbaijan; it participates in its joys and shares the challenges of confronting its difficulties.  The juridical recognition, made possible by the ratification of the international agreement with the Holy See in 2011, has furthermore offered a stable regulatory framework for the life of the Catholic community in Azerbaijan. 
I am moreover particularly pleased with the cordial relations enjoyed by the Catholic, Muslim, Orthodox and Jewish communities.  It is my hope that the signs of friendship and cooperation may continue to increase.  These good relations assume great significance for peaceful coexistence and for peace in the world, and they demonstrate that among the followers of different religious confessions cordial relations, respect and cooperation for the good of all are possible. 
    The attachment to authentic religious values is utterly incompatible with the attempt to violently impose on others one’s own vision, using God’s holy name as “armour”.  Rather, may faith in God be a source and inspiration of mutual understanding and respect, and of reciprocal help, in pursuit of the common good of society. 
    May God bless Azerbaijan with harmony, peace and prosperity. 
 
(from Vatican Radio)…

Pope: Azerbaijan Catholics have “accomplished wonders” despite persecution

(Vatican Radio) The joyful witness of Azerbaijan’s small Catholic community, which has “accomplished wonders” even after years of persecution, was at the centre of Pope Francis’ address at Baku’s Salesian centre, where he celebrated Sunday Mass as part of his day-long pastoral visit to the nation .
Listen to Ann Schneible’s report:

“In this Eucharistic celebration I have given thanks to God with you, and also for you,” Pope Francis said during his Angelus address at the conclusion of Sunday’s Mass in the Church of the Immaculate Conception.
“Here,” he said, “the faith, after the years of persecution, has accomplished wonders.” 
The Pope recalled “the many courageous Christians who trusted in the Lord and were faithful in the face of adversity.”
The Holy Father encouraged the Azerbaijan Catholics in their joyful witness “to faith, hope and love, united among (themselves) and with (their) Pastors.”
He made particular mention of the Salesians, as well as the Missionary Sisters of Charity, for their respective ministries, before entrusting all of these intentions to Mary.
In a few off-the-cuff remarks, Pope Francis acknowledged how Catholics in Azerbaijan – who number in the hundreds nationwide – are truly a “community of the periphery,” and encouraged them to move forward without fear.
The Holy Father likened his visit to the small Catholic community to that of the Holy Spirit, who descended on the small “community” gathered in the Upper Room.
Earlier that morning, during his homily for the Mass , Pope Francis spoke on “two essential aspects of the Christian life: faith and service.”
The Lord “invites patient waiting, without ever losing hope; above all, he emphasizes the importance of faith, since it is by faith that man will live.”
“When faith is interwoven with service, the heart remains open and youthful, and it expands in the process of doing good,” the Holy Father continued. 
“Thus faith, as Jesus tells us in the Gospel, becomes powerful and accomplishes marvellous deeds.”
In following the call to service, Pope Francis warned Christians against two key temptations: that of becoming lukewarm, and that of seeing service only as a way of gaining prestige and power.
Finally, the Pope recalled the words of the recently canonized St Teresa of Calcutta, saying: “The fruit of faith is love.  The fruit of love is service.  The fruit of service is peace.”
(from Vatican Radio)…

Pope Francis meets President of Azerbaijan

(Vatican Radio) After having celebrated Mass on Sunday morning upon his arrival in Azerbaijan, Pope Francis met with the nation’s President, Ilham Heydar Aliyev in the Presidential Palace of Baku  where he was received by the full Guard of Honor salute which is reserved for visiting dignitaries during the official Welcome Ceremony.
As per protocol, Pope Francis and President Aliyev then met for a private meeting behind closed doors.
President Ilham Aliyev, the fourth President of Azerbaijan, has been in office since 2003. He also functions as the Chairman of the New Azerbaijan Party and the head of the National Olympic Committee. Ilham Aliyev is the son of Heydar Aliyev, who was President of Azerbaijan from 1993 to 2003.  
Pope Francis has many engagements on this final day of his 16th Apostolic Journey which has taken him to Georgia and to Azerbaijan. After meeting with the President, he paid a visit to the Baku Monument for the Victims Fallen in the Battle for Independence.  Pope Saint John Paul II visited this site when he travelled to Azerbaijan in  May 2002 .
Here the Pope participated in a ceremony which saw the laying of a wreath in the presence of the Major of Baku.
The monument is known as the ‘Alley of Martyrs’ and it is situated on one of the highest hills in Baku overlooking the Caspian Sea. 
A long marble wall stretches the length of the memorial, with a portrait of each martyr standing above the tombstone and grave of their final resting place. Hundreds of the Azeris who lost their lives in the Karabakh hostilities and the events of Black January lie in repose, and an eternal flame underneath a large dome stands adjacent to the wall.  
Just across the street from the memorial’s location is the Parliament building – thus the cemetery serves as a constant reminder to the nation’s leaders and policymakers of the immense sacrifices that earlier generations made in order to secure the nation’s freedom. 
(from Vatican Radio)…