Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, makes a visit to several structures of the Apostolic Prefecture of Azerbaijan.
By Vatican News
On October 18, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Pro-Prefect of the Holy See’s Dicastery for Evangelization, visited Azerbaijan at the invitation of Bishop Vladimir Fekete and stopped at the construction site of the St. John Paul II Church in Baku.
The plot of land for what will become Baku’s second Catholic church was granted by a special decree from Azerbaijan’s President, Ilham Aliyev.
In December 2024, Archbishop Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, blessed both the site and the foundation stone.
While in Baku, Cardinal Tagle also met with Ramin Mammadov, Chairman of the State Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan for Work with Religious Associations.
He expressed appreciation for the country’s climate of interreligious relations and thanked the government and public for the conditions that enable the Catholic community to carry out its mission.
Cardinal Tagle in Azerbaijan
During his stay in the Apostolic Prefecture of Azerbaijan, the Cardinal visited the St. Teresa of Calcutta Homeless Shelter, where he celebrated Holy Mass for the Missionaries of Charity.
That same day, accompanied by Bishop Fekete, he went to the Curia of the Apostolic Prefecture of the Catholic Church in Azerbaijan.
There, he received a warm welcome from local clergy and from priests and religious of the Salesian Order, who were in Baku for the 25th anniversary celebrations of the mission in Azerbaijan.
Over tea in the Curia’s refectory, attendees had the chance to pose questions to Cardinal Tagle on current issues facing the Church around the world.
Cardinal Tagle in Azerbaijan
