Vatican Confirms Support for Kazakhstan’s Interfaith Congress
Pope Leo XIV will send a special message to participants at the eighth Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, to be held on Sept. 17–18, continuing the papal tradition of endorsing Kazakhstan’s flagship interfaith initiative.
Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, newly appointed prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, will deliver the keynote address at the plenary session and read the congress’s closing declaration, summarizing its commitments.
The Vatican delegation includes Father Vincenzo Marinelli, deputy apostolic nuncio to Kazakhstan, and Professor Tiziano Onesti, president of the Vatican’s Bambino Gesù pediatric hospital, who will discuss expanding medical cooperation with Kazakh institutions.
The closing declaration is expected to highlight shared principles of peace, cooperation, and mutual respect, reinforcing the congress’s global significance as a leading interfaith forum.
Photo credit: Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue
