On the eve of Pope Francis’ visit to Kazakhstan, Bishop Del Oro of the diocese of Karaganda in the country told this news network about the situation and challenges of the local Church.
(Vatican News Network)Pope Francis is about to leave for Kazakhstan on 13 September and local Catholics are full of anticipation. Adelio Dell’Oro, Bishop of Karaganda, spoke to this news network before the Pope’s visit to discuss the situation and challenges of the local Church.
Kazakhstan is divided into four ecclesiastical districts, each named after its cathedral rather than its geographical administrative region. Therefore, the names of the four dioceses of the country are: Archdiocese of Astana-Nur-Sultan of Our Lady of the Holy Trinity, Diocese of the Holy Trinity of Almaty, Diocese of Karaganda and Apostolic Administrator of Atyrau. There are 70 parishes in the country with around 100 priests. On the occasion of the Pope’s visit, many Catholic pilgrimage groups also came with great anticipation from St. Petersburg, Moscow, Novosibirsk, Omsk and Kyrgyzstan.
Monsignor Del Oro introduced the sparsely populated diocese of Karaganda to this news network. He said: “As we all know, during the 70 years of the Soviet regime any form of religious expression was banned, and not just Catholics, but believers of all religions were forced to live their faith in secret. For example , six years ago, in September, Father Władysław Bukowiński, a friend of Pope Wojtywa, was released, beatified after spending 13 and a half years in a labor camp. Work camps also lived here, including many Catholics. a woman named Gertrude Detzel at the time: she also spent 13 years in a labor camp. After her release, she privately organized a number of Catholic groups, right here in Karaganda. Last August we were beaten by Dezere. The case started the parish process “.
The bishop of Karaganda then explained that in 1991, when Kazakhstan became an independent state, everyone was finally able to act in public. “Many priests were also invited, mainly from Germany and Poland, to build ecclesial structures, build churches, organize parish life. Here I see the courage of the first missionaries on the one hand, and the limitations on the other., Which is what it is. we call dealing only with Catholics of their own nationality.Moreover, after the founding of the country, many Catholics, especially Germans and Poles, returned to their homeland.Therefore, although these groups were very active after 1991, A large, but also decreasing Over time. Given this story, my greatest concern is to ask ourselves if all the sacrifices made by our predecessors as believers are still worth, if we are destined to disappear, or if God has to do with other requests? “
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