Pope's visit to Kazakhstan puts country back on the congress map

The capital of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Nur-Sultan, is hosting the VII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religion, 14-15 September, 2022. It is the first major international event that Kazakhstan has held since the beginning of the Covid pandemic. A hundred delegations from 50 countries are expected to take part in the Congress, including Pope Francis. Professor Azza Karam, secretary general of Religions for Peace, said of the Pontiff’s presence at the congress opening: “He is seen as a religious leader who articulates the moral responsibilities and even clarifies what needs to be done in order to heal communities and to prevent conflict.” The Pope will close the two-day Congress on Wednesday afternoon with a speech following the reading of the final declaration. The Congress’s central theme is “The role of leaders of the world and traditional religions in the spiritual and social development of mankind in the post-pandemic period.” The format of the Congress involves holding multi-format meetings of religious leaders, plenary sessions at the grand opening and closing of the Congress; four breakout sessions; bilateral meetings of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the head of the Congress Secretariat with heads of delegations and authoritative participants of the Congress. Pope Francis is in the Kazakh capital at the same time as Chinese president Xi Jinping, who is making his first foreign visit since the coronavirus pandemic. But the Vatican says there are no plans for Francis to meet with Xi, who is not attending the congress. Darhan Qydyrali, Kazakhstan’s minister of information and social development, said the presence of world religious leaders in the country was good for Kazakhstan’s national interest. “The congress will give an example that issues can be also solved through the dialogue of religions.”