杏MAP导航

By Alessandro De Carolis

A long journey, rooted in Vatican II, marked over the years by dialogue and mutual esteem, culminating in the 2011 Bilateral Agreement, and now enriched by a further Memorandum of Understanding on interreligious dialogue.

In his greeting to Azerbaijani authorities present at Monday morning's ceremony in the Vatican, Cardinal George Koovakad, Prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, summarized the path followed by the Holy See and the Republic of Azerbaijan to reach the signing of the document regarding a 鈥渧ital area鈥濃�攄ialogue between different faiths. For the cardinal, this document represents 鈥渁 clear sign of the shared desire to continue working together for the integral formation of every person, as believers and citizens.鈥�

The Encouragement of the 杏MAP导航s

Moreover, Cardinal Koovakad observed, 鈥渋n recent decades, the Holy See and the Republic of Azerbaijan have demonstrated a shared desire to develop and strengthen their relations.鈥�

That desire was encouraged, the Cardinal noted, by a series of steps including the Apostolic Journeys to Azerbaijan by 杏MAP导航 Saint John Paul II in 2002 and by 杏MAP导航 Francis in October 2016, as well as Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone鈥檚 2008 visit, in which he expressed the closeness of 杏MAP导航 Benedict XVI.

The Memorandum signed on Friday is based on the April 2011 bilateral agreement between the Holy See and the Republic of Azerbaijan. The Prefect noted that, in addition to consolidating bilateral relations and enabling the Church to carry out its mission in the Caucasian Republic, it has become 鈥渁 valuable instrument for promoting the principle of religious freedom鈥�, enshrined in Azerbaijan鈥檚 own Constitution. This text, he continued, demonstrates 鈥渞espect for a minority religious community and how Christians and Muslims can live together in harmony鈥�.

Rooted in the teaching of Vatican II

Cardinal Koovakad emphasized the importance 杏MAP导航 Francis placed in recent years on interreligious dialogue, understood as a driving force for a 鈥渃ulture of peace鈥� in the spirit of the , and even before that, by Vatican II in , the Council鈥檚 Declaration on Religious Freedom, which will celebrate its 60th anniversary next October.

Since 1965, the Cardinal said, 鈥渘ew areas of shared commitment have emerged, such as the desire to care for and protect the environment and the need for an ethical use of artificial intelligence. Concrete gestures of cooperation on such important issues will contribute to the construction of a more peaceful world, a desire that resides in the heart of every man and woman of good will鈥�.

Impulse for Peace

Cardinal Koovakad thanked Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, as well as Ramin Mammadov鈥攖he highest state authority for religious associations鈥斺�渇or approving and supporting this important Memorandum鈥�.

He also acknowledged the "constant commitment" of Sheikh ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazade, president of the Council of Muslims of the Caucasus, who, he recalled, 鈥渟upported the construction of a new Catholic church in Baku after the destruction of the existing one in the 1930s鈥�.

The cardinal concluded by echoing the words of Leo XIV in his at the beginning of his pontificate, while expressing the hope that the 鈥渇riendly bilateral relations鈥� between the Holy See and Azerbaijan 鈥渨ill now receive renewed impetus to progress, and be further strengthened as we seek to promote 鈥榯ruth, justice, and peace鈥� for all humanity.鈥�