Pope Francis to Hold Holy Mass for Catholics During His Visit to Kazakhstan in September
Nur-Sultan, The Gulf Observer: Pope Francis will conduct an open-air holy mass for Roman Catholics and representatives of other religions and confessions on Sept. 14 in Nur-Sultan, reported the press service of the seventh Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions.
The mass will start at 4.45 p.m. Nur-Sultan time at the International Exhibition Center EXPO Square in front of the Nur Alem Pavilion (Mangilik El Avenue, B1). To attend the event, guests and citizens must receive a free special ticket from the Catholic Church of Kazakhstan’s official website and follow the rules for participation.
Meanwhile, the Vatican has unveiled the logo for Pope Francis’ Apostolic Journey to Kazakhstan under the motto “Messengers of Peace and Unity.”
The logo features a dove and an olive branch. The wings of the dove are illustrated by two hands joined together to symbolize the messengers of peace and unity. It also contains “Shanyrak” – a national element of a Kazakh yurt – associated with unity, family, and homeland. The green on the twig represents hope.
According to the program, Pope Francis will meet with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, representatives of civil society, and the diplomatic corps. He will attend the plenary sessions of the Congress and its closing ceremony with the adoption of the final declaration. Additionally, he will hold meetings with religious leaders, clergy, nuns, and seminarians of the Roman Catholic Church from Kazakhstan and neighboring countries.
The previous holy mass was celebrated by Pope John Paul II during his visit to Kazakhstan on Sept. 22-25, 2001.