(ANS – Baku) – During the Study Days on Salesian Presence among Muslims, Fr Vladimir Fekete, Prefect Apostolic for Azerbaijan gave an account of the situation there. His contribution ended with an appeal, to Salesians and others, for new apostles ready for a Church at a ‘kairos’ moment.

Azerbaijan is one of the countries in the old Soviet Union which became independent and democratic in 1991. Situated in the Caucasus, it covers an area of 86.6 thousand square kilometres and has nine million inhabitants. The economy, based on enormous resources of petroleum and natural gas, is robust and this has driven rapid development, especially in the capital Baku (population 3 million). There is ongoing conflict over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, a relic of the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan (1992-1994), which creates about a million refugees in the country. The native language is Azeri (related to Turkish), but Russian and English are used in educational and pastoral ministry.

Azerbaijan has ancient Christian roots. Islamicised in the tenth century, it turned atheist during the years from 1917 to 1990. The last Catholic priest was murdered in 1936. The rebirth of the Catholic Church began in 1997 with the arrival of the first diocesan priest, Fr Jerzy Pilus. In two years he succeeded in getting the Catholic community recognised by the government.

In 2000 Azerbaijan was entrusted to the Salesians of Don Bosco. In 2001 the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples established a Missio Sui Iuris (Independent Mission) in Baku. The government allowed the possibility of living and working in the capital to offer spiritual service to foreign Catholics working in the country. The Salesian community carries out its pastoral ministry in two churches in the capital,  social and educational services in the Meryam Centre and other projects through Caritas Azerbaijan. So far there have been two local vocations: a seminarian for the Prefecture and an FMA aspirant, both in the early stages of their training.

After seventy years of communism, with no priests or churches, Catholic presence has almost died out. The Azeri, who consider themselves Muslim for historical reasons, are quite moderate and tolerant. The Democratic Government, led by a strong President, declares itself secular, separate from religion. It proclaims the principle of religious tolerance, especially towards traditional religions (Judaism, Islam and the Orthodox and Catholic Churches).

After the visit of Blessed Pope John Paul II in 2002, things improved for the Catholic community from several points of view. The Catholic Church is considered as one of the traditional religions of Azerbaijan. The Salesians received a parcel of land from President Heydar Aliev to build their first church, consecrated by Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone in 2007.

The second missionary group – the Missionaries of Charity of Mother Teresa – opened a house for the homeless in 2007. A pastoral centre was opened in the Cathedral. In 2011, with the signing of an international agreement between the Holy See and Azerbaijan, the Christian community was officially recognised, thanks to a new law passed in 2009, and several fundamental privileges were granted making it possible to work more freely in the social life of the country. In July 2011 the Missio Sui Iuris was promoted to the Apostolic Prefecture of Azerbaijan and the superior of the Salesian Community, Fr Vladimir Fekete, was appointed as the first Apostolic Prefect.

The new situation opens fresh opportunities and challenges, but the main challenge is still the same: where to find apostolic forces, willing missionaries to do all that is necessary and implant the Church in this country.

Published 9/8/2012