Pope Francis confirms desire to visit Kazakhstan

Pope Francis, upon his return from an apostolic trip to Canada, said that he would like to visit Kazakhstan, Report informs citing TASS.

“I said that I would like to go to Ukraine. Let’s see how things are. I would also like to go to Kazakhstan,” he told reporters on board the plane on which he was returning from an apostolic trip to Canada.

On September 14-15, Kazakhstan will host the 7th Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions. Although there was no official announcement of the trip to the Vatican, Francis had previously confirmed his participation.

In addition, in early July, Secretary for Relations with the States of the Vatican, Monsignor Paul Richard Gallagher, admitted that the meeting between the Pope and Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia could take place in Kazakhstan. The meeting of the two hierarchs scheduled for June in Jerusalem was postponed due to the situation in Ukraine.

The pontiff also added that he must travel to South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. His visit there, originally scheduled for July, was postponed for health reasons.