Pope Leo XIV has been invited to visit Azerbaijan by President Aliyev during talks with a senior Vatican official in Baku. The invitation was extended during a meeting on Tuesday between President Aliyev and Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, who is responsible for interfaith affairs at the Vatican.
President Aliyev and Cardinal Koovakad also praised the continued development of relations between Azerbaijan and the Holy See, according to Azerbaijan's state news agency, Azertag. The meeting took place ahead of Cardinal Koovakad's planned visit to regions across the country.
During the meeting, President Aliyev asked that his greetings be conveyed to Pope Leo XIV and the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
According to Azertag, President Aliyev said he fondly recalled his visit to the Vatican and his meeting with the late Pope Francis in 2020, as well as the late pontiff's visit to Azerbaijan in 2016.
The construction of a second Catholic church in Azerbaijan, which is currently under way, was also discussed during the talks.
Azerbaijan is a secular state, although around 96 per cent of the population identifies as Muslim, according to statistics cited by the Azerbaijani government in 2017. Christians constitute a small minority of the population, with most belonging to Orthodox churches, particularly the Russian Orthodox Church.
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