4 March 2026. Astana. At the invitation of the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of the Most Holy Virgin Mary, Archbishop-Metropolitan Tomasz Bernard Peta, Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan visited the curia (diocesan administration) at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in the capital of Kazakhstan.
Participating in the meeting of the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan with the Archbishop-Metropolitan of the Catholic capital diocese were: Dean of the parishes of Astana Archimandrite Sergy (Karamyshev), Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of the Most Holy Virgin Mary Athanasius Schneider, and staff of the curia.
His Eminence told his interlocutor about the life of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District, which this year marks a number of significant historical dates – the 25th anniversary of the uncovering of the relics of the heavenly patrons of Kazakhstan, the Hieromartyrs Seraphim and Theognost of Almaty; the 200th anniversary of the birth of the prominent spiritual enlightener Bishop Alexander (Kulchitsky) of Turkestan and Tashkent; and the 80th anniversary of the return to the Orthodox Church of the Cathedral of St Nicholas the Wonderworker, one of the oldest churches of the Southern Capital. The Metropolitan noted that within the framework of the commemorations, scholarly-educational, cultural and youth events will take place in all dioceses of Kazakhstan.
One of the themes of the meeting was the discussion of the second stage of the exhibition in Kazakhstan dedicated to the unique historical and archaeological relic – the Shroud of Turin, organized through the joint efforts of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, the international charitable organization “Kirche in Not” (“Aid to the Church in Need”) and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Astana. It is expected that in 2026 the exhibition will be held in Petropavlovsk, Karaganda and Almaty.
Participants in the meeting expressed concern about the escalation of the international conflict around Iran. Archbishop Tomasz Peta informed the Head of the Metropolitan District that Pope Leo XIV, on Sunday, 1 March, in his traditional address to the faithful in St Peter’s Square in Rome, called for peace in the Middle East. In turn, Metropolitan Alexander spoke about the message of condolences sent to the Iranian people by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ in connection with the killing of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Seyyed Ali Khamenei.
During the conversation, the sides exchanged views on the state of inter-Christian and interreligious dialogue in Kazakhstan, expressing mutual satisfaction with the situation and assessing its prospects for development as positive.
They also discussed the implementation of joint projects aimed at protecting traditional spiritual values and affirming in society such sacred concepts as the strength of the family, the upbringing of children, the indissolubility of marriage and the value of human life from conception to death.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the interlocutors exchanged wishes of health and success in their labors and presented each other with commemorative souvenirs.
The meeting took place in a warm atmosphere.
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