JOHN PAUL II RECALLS TRIP TO KAZAKHSTAN AND ARMENIA

VATICAN CITY, OCT 3, 2001 (VIS) - During today's general audience, celebrated in St. Peter's Square, John Paul II spoke about his recent trip to Kazakhstan and Armenia, from September 22 to 27.

The Pope affirmed that in Kazakhstan he carried out, "a pastoral visit to a Catholic community living in a country whose population is primarily Islamic. ... In Armenia," he said, "I went as a pilgrim to render homage to a Church of very ancient origins."

"During my encounters with the authorities and the people, I understood clearly their will to overcome a harsh past, marked by the oppression of the dignity and rights of the human person. ... Who can forget that their steppes were used for the experimentation of nuclear weapons?...Kazakhstan, a multiethnic society, has rejected the atomic arsenal and has committed itself to building a society of pacifism and solidarity."

The Holy Father recalled that Kazakhstan has reaffirmed 'with strong emphasis that religion should never be used as a reason for conflict. Christians and Muslims, together with believers of all religions," he emphasized, "are called to firmly repudiate violence, to construct a humanity that loves life, that develops in justice and solidarity."

Referring to his pilgrimage in Armenia "to render homage to a people who for 17 centuries has united its history to Christianity," the Pope said that, "in her long history, the Armenian people have paid very dearly for their loyalty to their own identity. We need only think about the tremendous mass exterminations that began in the 20th century."

John Paul II concluded by noting that the ecumenical celebration and the common declaration signed by the Patriarch of all Armenians, Karekin II, "have placed a significant seal on the bond of charity which unites the Catholic Church with the Armenian. In a world torn apart by conflicts and violence, it is more necessary than ever that Christians be witnesses of unity and architects of reconciliation and peace."

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