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November 2, 2001
Pope's Trip to Kazakstan and Armenia Forum for Evangelism, Ecumenism
From The Record, 10/4/01
By JOHN THAVIS Catholic News Service
On a journey through parts of Central and Western Asia, Pope John Paul II tried to fan the flames of Catholic evangelization in Kazakstan and cement an ecumenical friendship in Armenia.
To both countries he brought spiritual solace 'for the many people suffering from past and present trials - the persecutions of history, the outrages perpetrated by communism and the modem struggle for economic survival.
Along his Sept. 22-27 journey, unfolding world events prompted the pope to condemn terrorism, urge caution in military retaliation against terrorists and emphasize that the church has no war to fight with "authentic Islam."
In predominantly Muslim Kazakstan, the pope celebrated an outdoor Mass attended by many Muslims and made an appeal for world peace in a time of crisis.
Referring to the suicide hijackings that left more than 6,000 dead in the United States, the pope said: 'We must not let what has happened lead to a deepening of divisions. Religions must never be used as a reason for conflict.' (Editor's Note: He should look into the Inquisition and the martyrdom of countless Christians.)
As most media focused on the winds of war in Central Asia, the pope's spiritual agenda in Kazakstan was almost ignored. At a Mass with some 350 bishops, priests, nuns and lay missionaries, he stressed the need to proclaim Christ, even as Catholics dialogue with the many Muslims and Orthodox Christians in the area.
At nearly every one of his events, the pope gently evangelized those who have fallen away from religion during the decades of communist rule. He declared that Jesus Christ was the "one mediator" between God and human beings and told bishops they should aim their pastoral strategy more at Kazak natives.
In Armenia, the pope was given - an unprecedented ecumenical welcome as the guest of the Armenian Apostolic Church, an independent Orthodox church that separated from Rome in the fifth century. The head of the, church, Catholicos Karekin II, met the pope at the airport and took him to his home as a special guest - a first on papal trips.
The pope celebrated Mass on the main altar of the Armenian Apostolic Church, another unprecedented gesture. Both churches pledged efforts toward full unity. Their biggest divergence today is papal primacy.
The pope also prayed at a memorial to 1.5 million Armenians killed by Ottoman Turks from 1915-18 and said the world should never forget that the Armenian people were brought to the brink of annihilation.