austraLasia 1696
Country of fire - warming Asia and Europe
BAKU: 24th November 2006 -- Better described as Eurasia, Azerbaijan,
'country of fire', a reference to its old Persian religious beginnings, keeps
both Europe and Asia warm in more sense than one. At the turn of the 20th
century it supplied half of the world's oil. Now of course it is still a
major, though not the only player in that field. But it also happens to
be a Salesian outpost for the province of Slovakia, and it interests EAO members
at the moment because Fr Klement was asked to visit the tiny Salesian presence
in Baku as part of an Extraordinary Visitation of the Slovakian province.
Besides, the handful of confreres in Baku are delighted to know that their work
and presence is being presented to Salesians to the east of them.
The Salesian community came into existence only in the Year
2000, as a missio sui iuris. There are 6 Salesians in the community, all of
Slovak origin, but needing Azeri, Russian and English to survive in their
mission. As far as a Catholic Religious and priestly presence to a 92%
Muslim country (though barely 'practicing' in that regard), these six have been
it, until recently, when 4 Missionaries of Charity Sisters (MC) arrived.
Catholics number around 350; 200 of these are foreign
workers or diplomats. Each year sees about 15 catechumens, many of them
young. The Salesian presence in Baku, a city of nearly 3 million people,
is a much appreciated one. Young people seem very open to their presence, but
the openness goes further up the ladder as well. The Catholic community
hopes to worship in its first official Church building built on land donated by
the President. They hope to have it opened for January 2007.
Fr Klement finds many similarities between the situation of
Salesians in Mongolia and those in Azerbaijan. Both are former Russian
satellites to begin with, but the similarities go well beyond that. Mongolian
Catholic presence also started out as a missio sui iuris, but has since
become a Prefecture with its own Bishop - the number of Catholics in both
countries is also similar, and the Salesian work for the young and the poor,
despite the physical differences of climate and geography between the Caspian
Sea (Baku) and inland Ulaan Baatar or Darkhan, has its similarities.
Oratory and other youth outreach activities in Baku mean football, language
study, music, computer studies, all run from the Salesian community
itself. Each Sunday they have three Masses at the community chapel
attended by 200 or more people. Two Masses are in Russian and one in
English. Jugend Eine Welt (Salesian NGO from Austria) and Catholic
Relief Services, give financial assistance to the 'Maria Centre', in the area
of the city where one finds the poorest apartments. Here, after-school
activities are carried out for 150 young people. This is managed by two
Salesians with another thirteen lay helpers.
Azerbaijan has around 8 million people all told, 1 million
of whom are displaced persons from various conflicts, including nearby Armenia
and Georgia. John Paul II visited once, and also Cardinal Sepe.
After that Fr Klement! All eyes are now on nearby Turkey, and many a
prayer is winging to heaven for the success and safety of Benedict XVI's visit to
the latter in a few days time.
GLOSSARY
missio sui iuris: from Latin, meaning legally able to run its own
affairs, an ecclesiastical term for the first stage of self-management by a
future diocese.
PS: happy feastday to Vietnam on the occasion of
the Vietnamese Martyrs
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