Roman Catholicism in Azerbaijan

The Roman Catholic Church in Azerbaijan is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome. It is one of the least Catholic countries in the world in terms of the number of adherents with only 400 faithful out of a total population of over seven million. About half of the congregation consists of foreigners that work as diplomats or work for oil companies.ru icon [http://www.echo-az.com/archive/2007_03/1524/obshestvo03.shtml Construction of Catholic Church in Baku Coming to End] by R.Manafli. "Echo". 8 March 2007]

Origins

Christians have been present in Azerbaijan since the 1st century A.D. [cite web | author= | date= September 12, 2005| title= Groundbreaking for first Catholic church in post-Soviet Azerbaijan | format= | work= Catholic World News | url=http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=39564|accessdate=2006-06-18] Starting from 1320, Catholic missionaries such as Jordanus and Odoric of Pordenone have visited what is now Azerbaijan and have established missions mostly in large cities. In the 14th century in Nakhichevan alone, there were 12 missions led by Dominicans, Jesuits, Capuchins, Augustinians, etc. In 1660 Superior of the Capuchin Mission at Isfahan, friar Raphaël du Mans reported Catholic parishes functioning in Baku and Shamakhi. [Du Mans, Raphaël. L'Estat de la Perse en 1660. C. Schefer (ed). Paris, 1890] Polish Jesuits arrived and set a mission in Ganja in the 1680s. [ru icon [http://www.realazer.com/mag/_m2/m11.htm Christianity in Azerbaijan] . "Realny Azerbaijan". 18 May 2006. Retrieved 29 April 2007]

With the establishement of the Russian rule, these lands became a popular destination for members of various Christian denominations. Catholics were represented by ethnic Poles who started immigrating to Baku and Shemakhi in the mid-1800s, Ukrainians, Georgian Catholics, Armenian Catholics, as well as Western Europeans (mostly French) who stayed in Baku on a temporary or permanent basis.

20th century

In the early 20th century there was a community in Baku made up of Polish, German, and Russian immigrants who built the Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1915. [cite web | author=Lowe, Christian | date= May 23, 2002| title= Pope Celebrates Mass in Azerbaijan | format= | work= Catholic World News | url=http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=18204|accessdate=2006-06-18] In 1917, the community numbered 2,500 people. In the early 1930s, Joseph Stalin had the small community's only priest killed.cite web | author=| date= May 20, 2005| title= Faithful Waited 70 Years for Confirmation in Azerbaijan| format= | work= Zenit News Agency | url=http://www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=14668| accessdate=2006-06-18] In 1931, the communist authorities demolished the church. [cite web | author=Lowe, Christian | date= May 23, 2002| title= POPE'S FALTERING HEALTH CAUSES CONCERN ON AZERBAIJAN VISIT | format= | work= Agence France Presse | url=http://www.stetson.edu/~psteeves/relnews/0205e.html|accessdate=2006-06-18]

In 1997, a Slovak priest came to Baku to restart the community.cite web | author=| date= May 20, 2005| title= Faithful Waited 70 Years for Confirmation in Azerbaijan| format= | work= zenit.org | url=http://www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=14668| accessdate=2006-06-18]

21st century

In October 2000, the mission sui iuris of Baku was established covering the whole of the country, with Daniel Pravda as its first superior.

On May 23, 2002, Pope John Paul II visited the country, despite his increasingly fragile health. [cite web | author=Stanley, Alessandra | date= May 23, 2002| title= Frail Pope Takes His Message Of Peace to the Azerbaijanis| format= | work= New York Times | url=http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30D12F63A5C0C708EDDAC0894DA404482&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fOrganizations%2fR%2fRoman%20Catholic%20Church%20| accessdate=2006-06-18] He was initially invited by Azerbaijan's president, Heydar Aliyev.cite web | author= | date= May 21, 2002| title= Azerbaijan's Few Catholics Ready to Greet Pope | format= | work= Catholic World News | url=http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=18177|accessdate=2006-06-18] Thanks to his visit, President Aliev gave the Catholic church a plot of land to build a church.cite web | author=| date= May 20, 2005| title= Faithful Waited 70 Years for Confirmation in Azerbaijan| format= | work= zenit.org | url=http://www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=14668| accessdate=2006-06-18] The building was funded by proceeds from Pope John Paul II's book sales and foreign donations. [cite web | author=| date= August 30, 2005| title="Catholic Church to open in Azerbaijan" | format= | work= AssA-Irada | url=http://www.wwrn.org/article.php?idd=18548&sec=4&cont=7| accessdate=2006-06-18]

When Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti, the apostolic nuncio to Azerbaijan, visited the country he encountered many elderly believers who had waited almost 70 years to receive the sacrament of confirmation.cite web | author=| date= May 20, 2005| title= Faithful Waited 70 Years for Confirmation in Azerbaijan| format= | work= zenit.org | url=http://www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=14668| accessdate=2006-06-18]

St Mary's Catholic Church of Baku was rebuilt in March 2007. The community is now led by Fr. Jan Čapla.

ZEINT reported on the 9th March 2008 that the 1st Catholic Church (Church of the Immaculate Conception) was inaugurated by Cardinal Bertone on the 7th March 2008.cite web | author=| date= March 9, 2008| title= Azerbaijan Inaugurates 1st Catholic Church| format= | work= zenit.org | url=http://www.zenit.org/article-22014?l=english| accessdate=2008-03-19]

As Azerbaijan is a secular country the law states that foreigners who promote religious propaganda face enormous fines or deportation. [cite web | author=Corley, Felix | date= November 1, 2005| title=AZERBAIJAN: Selective obstruction of foreign religious workers| format= | work= Forum 18 | url=http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=680| accessdate=2006-06-18]

External links

* [http://www.catholic.az/ Catholic Church in Azerbaijan – Official Website]

References