Pope Francis has begged for an end to Russia’s “senseless and tragic war” in Ukraine as he arrived in the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan to join faith leaders from around the world in praying for peace.
Francis flew to the Kazakh capital of Nur-Sultan to meet with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev for an official state visit portion of his three-day trip.
On Wednesday and Thursday, he will participate in a government-sponsored triennial interfaith meeting, which is gathering more than 100 delegations of Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Shinto and other faith groups from 50 countries.
The 85-year-old Francis made the trip despite what appeared to be an aggravation of the strained knee ligaments that have greatly reduced his mobility all year.
Francis struggled to walk through the aisle of the aircraft during the 6.5-hour flight from Rome, and he appeared tired and in pain as he limped heavily with his cane, ceding to a wheelchair for most events once in town.
Doctors have told him that for the time being, any further travel — to Kyiv, for example — is out of the question.
Speaking upon his arrival to government authorities and diplomats gathered at the Qazaq concert hall, Francis praised Kazakhstan’s commitment to diversity and dialogue and its progress from decades of Stalinist repression, when Kazakhstan was the destination of hundreds of thousands of Soviet deportees.
Francis said the country, which borders Russia to the north and China to the east and is home to some 150 ethnic groups and 80 languages, now has a “fundamental role to play” in helping ease conflicts elsewhere.
Recalling that St John Paul II visited Kazakhstan just days after the September 11 2001 attacks in the US, Francis said he was visiting “in the course of the senseless and tragic war that broke out with the invasion of Ukraine”.
“I have come to echo the plea of all those who cry out for peace, which is the essential path to development for our globalised world,” he said.
Directing himself at global superpowers, he said expanding efforts at diplomacy and dialogue were ever more important.
“And those who hold greater power in the world have greater responsibility with regard to others, especially those countries most prone to unrest and conflict.”
We need leaders who enable peoples to grow in mutual understanding and dialogue, thus giving birth to the determination to build a more stable and peaceful world, with an eye to future generations. This will take understanding, patience and dialogue with all. #ApostolicJourney
Advertisement— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) September 13, 2022
“Now is the time to stop intensifying rivalries and reinforcing opposing blocs,” he said.
Mr Tokayev did not mention Ukraine specifically in his prepared remarks to Francis.
But speaking in English, he referred in general terms about humanity being on an “edge of an abyss as geopolitical tensions escalate, global economy suffers, and mushrooming religious and ethnic intolerance becomes the ‘new normal'”.
Kazakhstan has had to walk a thin line with the war.
Mr Tokayev has vowed to respect Western sanctions against Russia while trying to maintain close ties with Moscow, an important economic partner and ally.
In this land, may the memory of the sufferings and trials you endured be an indispensable part of your journey towards the future, inspiring you to give absolute priority to the dignity of every person, and every ethnic, social and religious group. #ApostolicJourney #Kazakhstan
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) September 13, 2022
At the same time, Mr Tokayev refused to recognise the Russia-backed separatist “people’s republics” in Ukraine which Moscow recognised days before invading Ukraine.
The most noteworthy aspects of Francis’ visit to Kazakhstan might boil down to the missed opportunities with both Russia and China: Francis was supposed to have met with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church on the sidelines of the conference.
But Patriarch Kirill, who has supported the war in Ukraine, cancelled his trip last month.
Francis is also going to be in the Kazakh capital at the same time as Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is making his first foreign trip since early in the coronavirus pandemic.
The Vatican and China have not had diplomatic relations for a half century and the timing is somewhat tense, with the two sides finalising the renewal of a controversial deal over the nominations of Catholic bishops in China.
The Vatican has said there were no current plans for any meeting between Mr Xi and Francis while they were both in Kazakhstan and the Kazakh deputy foreign minister, Roman Vassilenko said he did nt believe there was time in Mr Xi’s schedule to meet with Francis.
Asked about the possibility en route to Nur-Sultan, Francis said: “I don’t have any news about this. But I am always ready to go to China.”
