"EVERYONE MUST BE COMMITTED TO PEACE"

VATICAN CITY, MAY 22, 2002 (VIS) - At 9 a.m. today, the Pope departed from Fiumicino airport in Rome for Azerbaijan, and after traveling 3,111 kilometers in four hours, landed in the international airport of Baku, the capital. There he was welcomed by the president of the republic, Heydar Aliyev, political and civil authorities, three members of the Salesian community and senior members of the diplomatic corps.

After getting off the airplane, the Holy Father kissed the country's soil which two children offered him in a shallow receptacle, as is traditional when he visits a country for the first time.

At the beginning of his speech, the Holy Father recalled that this trip takes place during the 10th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and the Holy See.

After emphasizing the role of the great religions in the country that coexist in "a spirit of tolerance and mutual acceptance," he said: "I hope and pray to God that any remaining tensions will soon be overcome and that all will find peace in justice and truth."

"From this gateway of civilization which is Azerbaijan," he continued, "I address today a heartfelt appeal to those lands experiencing the upheavals of conflict. ... Everyone must be committed to peace. But it must be true peace, based on mutual respect, on the rejection of fundamentalism and every form of imperialism, on the pursuit of dialogue as the only effective means of resolving tensions, so that entire nations are saved from the cruelty of violence."

Religions, he went on, "should not be used as a tragic excuse for enmities which have their origin elsewhere. No one has the right to call upon God to justify their own selfish interests. ... I ask all religious leaders to reject all violence as offensive to the name of God and to be tireless promoters of peace and harmony, with respect for the rights of one and all."

John Paul II ended by addressing all Christians, and in particular the Catholic community of the country, assuring them that the "tragic difficulties" that they endured "during the time of communism will be compensated for by the Lord with the gift of lively faith, exemplary moral commitment and local vocations for pastoral and religious services."

After the welcoming ceremony, the Pope is scheduled to go to the Monument of the Fallen for the Independence of Azerbaijan. Later he will go to the presidential palace at Baku to pay a courtesy visit to the president of the republic and there he will meet with representatives of religions, politics, culture and art.

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