Archbishop George Panamthundil, Apostolic Nuncio to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, Sends a Congratulatory Message on the Consecration of the Memorial Church Dedicated to the New Martyrs and Confessors of Chimkent at Lisya Balka

Your Eminence, dear Metropolitan Alexander!

On the occasion of the consecration of the memorial church dedicated to the New Martyrs and Confessors of Chimkent at Lisya Balka, I wish to convey to Your Eminence, and through you to all the clergy and faithful of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, my heartfelt congratulations and prayerful good wishes.

This sacred place preserves a memory of particular significance. In 1937–1938, Lisya Balka became a site of execution and burial for many innocent victims of political repression. Among them were Orthodox hierarchs, priests, monastics and faithful, as well as Catholics and followers of Islam, Judaism and Buddhism. Though differing in nationality and religious beliefs, they were united in their suffering and tragic deaths. Therefore, today this church is not merely a memorial to the past, but also a powerful reminder of the dignity of every human person and of our shared responsibility to ensure that such suffering is never forgotten in the future.

For us as Christians, this remembrance carries an even deeper meaning. In a special way, we remember those who remained faithful to Christ amid persecution, whose witness proved stronger than violence and death. As Pope Leo XIV said during a joint commemoration of martyrs and witnesses to the faith: “Their witness remains a prophecy of the victory of good over evil.”

Their heroic witness reminds us that evil can never have the final word. It also speaks eloquently of the “communion of blood” that unites Christians who, though belonging to different traditions, suffer together for their fidelity to Christ. Their self-sacrifice calls us today to grow stronger in brotherhood, mutual respect, and our shared commitment to peace.

I therefore rejoice with Your Eminence that this church now stands at Lisya Balka. I gratefully acknowledge the initiative of His Holiness Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus’, as well as the support extended to this noble undertaking by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, His Excellency Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

May this church remain, above all, a living place of prayer: a place where the memory of suffering becomes a call to reconciliation, where the witness of the martyrs strengthens faith, and where future generations may come to understand how invaluable human dignity, religious freedom, and peace truly are.

With these sentiments, dear Metropolitan Alexander, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to Your Eminence and assure you of my prayerful closeness on the occasion of this momentous event.

With brotherly love and respect,

Archbishop George Panamthundil

Apostolic Nuncio to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan