The Catholic Church has deep roots in Kazakhstan. Historians at Tashkent University say that as early as the second century AD in the town of Merv, today known as Mary, (on the Uzbekistan border in southern Kazakhstan) there were Christians among Roman soldiers taken prisoners after a battle they lost against the Persians. A bishop's see existed there in the year 334. In the same place, at the end of the fourth and the beginning of the fifth centuries, there was a Melkite monastery.
In the south there were also Nestorian communities. Until the 13th century, under the rule of a Nestorian Patriarch, there were 25 metropolitan sees and about 150 bishops. One of these metropolitan sees was at Marcanda (Samarkand), the ancient capital of Sogdiana, a famous historical-cultural region of Central Asia. In the second half of the seventh century, Metropolitan Ilia of Merv probably took part in the conversion of the Turks. The conversion of the Kagan of the Turks is attributed to this Bishop.
In the seventh and eighth centuries, Nestorian Christianity spread through southern Kazakhstan and Semiretchinsk (Turkmenistan) and later in the ninth and 10th centuries led to the founding of the Metropolitan See of Karluki. Christian churches still exist in Taraz and Mirke. In Taraz today there are still Christian families of Syrian origin (easily recognized by their dark skin) who claim that their ancestors went there to escape persecutions, the memory of which has been lost in time. In the year 1009, Nestorian missionaries baptized one of the numerous groups of Mongol speaking ethnic Kereiti whose Khan took the Christian name Mark, Marguz. In the same period the Nestorian tendency spread among other peoples of Central Asia, and the Metropolitan Sees of Kachgar (Xinjiang, China) and Navakheta were established.
Nestorian Christianity was popular at court. In the family of the Mongol emperors, many noble women at court were Christians and important Uighur and Kereiti ministers were often Nestorians. In the seventh century, Nestorian monks went as far as Changan (today Xian) to the court of the Chinese Emperor Tang.
During the reign of the Grand Khan Kubilai (1260-1295), the Venetian merchants, Mafeo and Marco Polo, discovered more than 700,000 Chinese families who called themselves Christians and they were probably one of the surviving branches of Nestorian Christians or Manichaean Christians (of Persian origin, found until the 17th century in the Fujian province of China).
Franciscan Missions In The 13th And 14th Century
The appearance of mendicant monastic Orders marks the beginning of Catholic missions to the Far East. One example of missionary activity was the journey undertaken by Flemish Franciscan William of Rubroeck (1253-1255), who traveled 9,940 miles in two years, from Constantinople to Karakorum, capital of the steppe land empire. Most of the territory covered by Rubroeck was in present day Kazakhstan.
At the end of his journey, Rubroeck met the Great Khan Munke (who later became a Christian). The Franciscan sought to illuminate Khan Sartac, the son of Batu-Khan, grandchild of Genghis Khan. Towards the middle of 1254, Khan Sartac converted to Christianity and Pope Innocent IV was informed.
The First Dioceses In Kazakhstan
In the year 1278 the Holy See attempted to organize ecclesiastical structures in the territory of Kazakhstan and in Central Asia. Because of the countless conversions made by the Franciscans, Pope Nicholas III established the Diocese of Kepciak. Franciscans in the territory of Kipciak received special privileges, probably from Khan Monke-Timur (1267-1280), which were renewed by later Khans: for example all Latin clergy were exempt from military service, corve, (unpaid labour) and tax. This all corresponded to the general legislation promulgated earlier by Genghis Khan. The Khan were obliged to protect Catholic churches and bell towers. The legislation mentioned above established a stable and ordered situation for missionaries throughout the empire.
Giovanni Da Montecorvino, The Apostle Of Central Asia
One of the greatest missionary-diplomats of the 13th and 14th centuries was the Italian, Giovanni da Montecorvino (1247-1328 or 1333). Sent to Asia by Pope Nicholas IV in 1289 like other Franciscans including Arnold of Cologne and Odorico of Pordenone, Friar Giovanni reached Kamablik in 1294, where he soon won the esteem of the Khan who ruled the region of Tenduk (part of Mongolia and what is today Manchuria, north of Beijing). The Khan had already been baptized by the Nestorians with the Christian name of George, Kirghis in Kurkic. The name of this Khan was later given to ethnic groups known as the Kirghiz, literally people of St. George. Under the influence of Montecorvino, Khan Kirghiz became a member of the Catholic Church and even received Minor Orders from the Franciscan. It is said that the Khan himself served Giovanni at the altar during Mass.
Bishops, Missionaries And Martyrs
In a letter to Nicholas IV in 1306, Montecorvino asked the Pope for more missionaries. But a group of Dominicans only reached as far as Kiptchak. In 1307 Pope Clement V appointed Montecorvino as Archbishop in the city of Kambalik and Patriarch of the Far East. He then called seven Franciscans for mission in China. They were ordained bishops and were instructed to ordain Montecorvino Archbishop of Kambalik on their arrival. Six of them set out on the journey but three soon died shortly after. One of the remaining three, Gerard Albuni, stopped at Zayton or Kaitong a port on the Fu-jian river, today Quangzhou, to tend to the many Catholics there. The other two, one of whom was Bishop Andrea of Perugia, continue the journey. In 1311 they reached Peking and at last Archbishop Giovanni Montecorvino received Episcopal ordination. It was Pope John XXII who created the Archdiocese of Kambalik (Beijing) in 1318. The missionary activity of Montecorvino, he had the Bible translated into Mongolian, let to hundreds of thousands of conversions. Dioceses were established at Almalik and Urghenc. Altogether, 31 missionary dioceses were set up in the Far East. After the deaths of Giovanni da Montecorvino and the Khan the situation became complicated. Using religion to forge political alliances, the Khan converted to Islam and persecution of the Christians began. Among those killed at Almalik were Richard of Bourgogne, six monks (three priests and three brothers) and an Italian merchant, Guglielmo da Modena. For the next 600 years, Kazakhstan was without a Catholic bishop until 1991, when by Pope John Paul II appointed Jan Pavel Lenga Apostolic Administrator of Karagana, Kazakhstan.
The Church Today
Paradoxically it can be said that the history of the Catholic Church in Kazakhstan resumed in the 20th century when Stalin ordered the deportation to Central Asia of whole peoples of the Catholic tradition. Providence turned a diabolical plan into a missionary event beyond the boldest dreams of even Propaganda Fide or any missionary strategist.
From 1930 onwards, many priests were deported and sent to concentration camps in Kazakhstan. Having been released, they settled among the people and began clandestine ministry. They include:
1. Fr. Tadeusz Fedorowicz, spiritual director of the young Karol Wojtyla. Fr. Tadeusz was a young priest in the Archdiocese of Lviv, in what is today Ukraine, considered by the Poles a cradle of their culture. On learning that a group of parishioners were being deported to Central Asia, he obtained permission from the Archbishop to share their plight, setting out as one of them and then inventing a new sort of pastoral activity for deportees.
2. Fr. Wladislaw Bukowinski. When, after spending several years in prison, he was told he could return to Poland, he chose to remain and with the help of young Sr. Gertrude from Karaganda, he put himself at the service of the Catholic community, even secretly founding a congregation of nuns. Today these sisters are numerous and they work in various parts of the former Soviet Union territories.
3. Bishop Alexander Chira, of Oriental Rite, ordained clandestinely in a concentration camp (1956). He too, after being released, asked to remain in Karaganda to work with Fr. Bukowinski. He started as an ambulance driver; later, after the death of Stalin and when the situation improved, he began to work as assistant to the parish priest, who was quite unaware that he now had a bishop in his service.
Only in 1980, when the Church of St. Joseph in Karaganda was consecrated, built after endless disputes between the Soviet authorities and the people, and not only Catholics, did Bishop Chira reveal his identity. It is moving to think of this bishop humbly teaching the faith to hundreds of young people, many future priests (including Bishop Joseph Werth, Titular of Bulna and Apostolic Administrator of West Siberia of the Latins) without revealing his authority even to his parish priest.
In 1991, after the perestroika, Pope John Paul II appointed Fr. Pavel Lenga as Apostolic Administrator of Karaganda for Catholics of Latin Rite in Kazakhstan, and the other four former Soviet territory Republics of Central Asia, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan. He was ordained at Krasnoarmiejsk but the Episcopal See is Karaganda, the main center of Catholicism in Kazakhstan. In 1999 Astana received an Apostolic Administration as did Almaty and Atyran. There are 250 parishes; 20 churches have been built so far, there are 63 priests, 74 religious sisters and in 1998 a major seminary was opened under the title Mary, Mother of the Church.
On 25 June 1995, Bishop Lenga consecrated Kazakhstan to Mary Queen of Peace at the shrine dedicated to Our Lady under this title at Oziornoje, northern Kazakhstan. This is the only Marian shrine in this part of the world. It was built as an act of thanksgiving by deported Poles who in 1941 were literally dying of hunger. A nearby lake was miraculously filled with fish and the people survived.
In 1994 diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Kazakhstan were established. Archbishop Marian Oles is Apostolic Nuncio to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.
Besides Catholics of Latin Rite, Kazakhstan also has Catholics of Oriental Rite. Two Greek-Catholic priests work respectively at Karaganda and Pavlodar, under the jurisdiction of the local ordinary. There are eight million Muslims, 6,186,900 Orthodox and around 360,000 Latin Rite Catholics.
One of the challenges here is to deepen the people's knowledge of the faith. Years of Soviet rule weakened family faith life and Christian education of the children. Many adults today have no proper understanding of the value of the Sacraments. For example, for many people, including Catholics, church-weddings do not exist. The wedding ceremony is still Soviet style: a wreath laid at the memorial for war dead and the couple are married.
© L'Osservatore Romano, Editorial and Management Offices, Via del Pellegrino, 00120, Vatican City, Europe, Telephone 39/6/698.99.390.
VATICAN CITY, MAY 17, 2003 - John Paul II elevated the apostolic administration of Astana, Kazakhstan to archdiocese with the name "Archdiocese of the Mary Most Holy in Astana" (area 576,400, population 3,985,000, Catholics 90,000, priests 31, permanent deacons 2, religious 59).- Appointed Bishop Tomasz Peta, apostolic administrator of Astana, Kazakhstan, as first archbishop of Astana, Kazakhstan.
- Elevated the apostolic administration of Almaty, Kazakhstan to diocese with the name "Diocese of the Most Holy Trinity in Almaty" (area 711,600, population 6,267,000, Catholics 59,000, priests 15, religious 13).
- Appointed Bishop Henry Theophilus Howaniec, O.F.M., apostolic administrator of Almaty as first bishop of Almaty, Kazakhstan.
- Established the dioceses of the Most Holy Trinity in Almaty and Karaganda and the apostolic administration of Atyrau, Kazakhstan as suffragens of the archdiocese of Mary Most Holy in Astana, Kazakhstan.
- Conferred the title of archbishop "ad personam" on Bishop Jan Pawel Lenga, M.I.C., of Karaganda, Kazakhstan.
John Paul II erected two new dioceses in Kazakhstan on May 17, to make possible the "orderly development" of the Catholic community, Vatican sources explained.
Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Angelo Sodano explained during an interview that he does not think the measure will trigger arguments with the Russian Orthodox Church. Kazakhstan is an independent country, in which the Orthodox are not in the majority.
The republic became independent 12 years ago. It has a total of 16,824,900 inhabitants, 8 million of whom are Muslims. About 6 million are Orthodox, and some 360,000 are Catholics.
"I am convinced that in this case all will understand the pastoral significance of this papal measure," as was the case with the recent creation of the dioceses in Belarus and Ukraine, the cardinal explained to "Avvenire."
Patriarch Alexei II of Moscow publicly criticized the Pope's decision to erect four Catholic dioceses in the Russian Federation, in February, 2002.
"I must add that, as a gesture of courtesy, the decision had been communicated to the patriarchate of Moscow," Cardinal Sodano emphasized. The cardinal is in Kazakhstan to commemorate the first anniversary of the Pope's visit in 2001.
"It gives me great inner satisfaction to be in touch with a Church that is being reborn after the long period of communist persecution. Catholics in Kazakhstan, as well as Orthodox brethren, experienced terrible trials" between 1920 and 1960, he added.
"It is a duty of the Holy See to help this reconstruction of the local Church.
In virtue of the Pope's decision, the apostolic administration in Astana will now be the Archdioceses of Mary Most Holy in Astana. Its archbishop will be Tomasz Peta, who up until now has been apostolic administrator of this See.
In addition, the Pope has raised the apostolic administration of Almaty to the rank of diocese with the name Diocese of the Most Holy Trinity in Almaty, appointing as bishop Monsignor Henry Theophilus Howaniec. O.F.M., to date apostolic administrator of that See. The Dioceses of Almaty, Karaganda (created by the Pope in 1999), and the apostolic administration of Atyrau (created in 1999) will depend on the Archdiocese of Astana.
The Holy Father, Pope John Paul II has, established on August 6th 1999 the Diocese of Karaganda.The first Bishop of Karaganda Jan Pawel Lenga M. I. C. (born 1950) was ordained for the Congregation of the Marians of the Immaculate Conception in 1980. In 1991 he was appointed and ordained titular Bishop of Arba. In the same year he was appointed Administrator of Kazakhstan and of Central Asia in the former USSR. In 1997, when the Missions sui juris of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan were established, he was appointed Apostolic Administrator of Karaganda.
The diocese of Karaganda extends over the territory of two Oblasts (regions) in the central-eastern part of the country: Est Kazakhstan and Karaganda Central; with an area of 711,300 sq km and a population of 3,433,300.
The Holy Father, Pope John Paul II has, established on August 6th 1999 the Apostolic Administration of Almaty, the Apostolic Administration of Astana and the Apostolic Administration Atyrau.At the same time the Holy Father appointed Fr Tomaz Peta, Fr Henry Theophilus Howaniec, O. F. M. and Fr Janusz Kaleta as Apostolic Administrators respectively of Astana, Almaty and Atyrau, without Episcopal dignity.
The Bishop of Karaganda and apostolic administrators of Atyrau and Astana, in Kazakhstan have taken possession of their respective ecclesiastical circumscriptions created by Pope John Paul II this year, on July 7th (see Fides 20/27 August 1999). Kazahkstan�s new diocese and three apostolic administrations were welcomed by the local Catholics with gratitude and joy, in the hope that the future will see a new springtime of the faith in this country.
The first Bishop of Karaganda, Bishop Jan Pawel Lenga M. I. C. took possession of the diocese on October 10th. The Mass, presided by Archbishop Mariano Oles, Nuncio, and concelebrated by a number of priests, was attended by a large crowd of Catholics, mostly children of people exiled or deported here from various parts of Europe. The bidding prayers were said in ten different languages. In the diocese there are a number of parish associations, and communities of Communion and Liberation movement and the Neo Catechumen Way.Fr Janusz Kaleta, Apostolic Administrator Atyrau, took possession of the one and only parish in the vast territory of 736,100 sq km. The parish is well organised and very active, thanks to the work of the parish priest and a community of Neo Katechumens. Present at the Mass were also Catholics from Russia, the civil authorities, and the Muslim Imam. Recently the town inaugurated a new mosque.
Fr Tomaz Peta, apostolic administrator of Astana, took possession of his circumscription on October 25th. The celebration took place in the new church situated in the centre of the town, and opened last June 27th. The mass was presided by the nuncio and concelebrated with nearly all of the 27 priests of the new administration. The women religious were also present. Distinguished guests included the Head of the Ministry of Culture�s Religious Affairs Department, writer Akhetov Amantay, and representatives of the Orthodox Bishop, the Lutheran Bishop and the ministry of information.
The Catholic Church and the government authorities of Kazakhstan have officially invited the Pope to visit the new Central Asian Republic following his scheduled 4 day pastoral pilgrimage to Ukraine, next June 21-24. A first invitation had been addressed to the Pope by Kazakhstan�s President Nursultan Nazarbayev, when he was received in audience in the Vatican on September 24. An official invitation has now come from the Catholic Bishop of Karaganda, and the three Apostolic Administrators of Almaty, Astana and Atyrau.
(Fides) Official invitation to Pope and ordination of Administrator ApostolicOn the solemnity of Christ the King, Sunday November 26, Rev. Henry Theophilus Howaniec, [appointed first Apostolic Administrator of Almaty by Pope John Paul II on August 6, 1999, see Fides August 20/27 1999, and raised to Episcopal dignity by the Holy Father on October 2000, with the Titular See of Acholla], was ordained a Bishop. The ordination took place at Almaty�s Holy Trinity Church filled to capacity with people of many different nationalities who crowded even into the basement rooms to follow the Mass by means of an audio-video connection with the Church overhead. The Ordination Mass was presided by Archbishop Mariano Oles, Nuncio, ordaining with him were Bishop Alberto Tricarico, special envoy from the Holy See secretariat of state and Bishop Jan Pawel Lenga of Karaganda. Present also all the Ordinaries of central Asia, the Apostolic Administrator of Western Siberia, (Novosibirsk) Bishop Joseph Werth representing the Catholic Bishops� Conference of the Russian Federation, and every priest and seminarian in Almaty.
Many other priests came for the occasion. The Franciscans sent two large delegations, from the General Curia and from Chicago, the new Bishop�s home town, and there were numerous women Religious. Much missed was Orthodox Archbishop Alexiy, who enthusiastically witnessed the laying of the foundation stone for the new Catholic church five years ago, unable attend for health reasons. However the television team of the Orthodox Church filmed the liturgy, as did the local television channel and Cana t. v. from Novosibirsk. The local Muslim community was represented by Mr Ali Khadgi, Imam of Medina, and for the city authorities there was the Director of the local Religious Affairs Bureau. Vladimir Ivanov. Special guests included a number of ambassadors and diplomats.
The music for the Mass was Mozart�s Coronation Mass, alternated with hymns by the parish youth choir. At the end of the celebration, during which many were visibly moved, the new Bishop thanked the Holy Father and all present and then led an Act of Consecration entrusting his Apostolic Administration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. During the reception which followed the people and guests crowded round to congratulate the new Bishop.
Church Today.In the 18th century when Kazakhstan joined Russia the empress Katharine the Great was interested in spiritual life of German and Dutch immigrants. She founded Mogilevsk Diocese which became a spiritual house for the Catholics of the Russian Empire who suffered those days. Tiraspol archdiocese, with the center in Saratov, was founded in 1847. The archdiocese included other Catholic parishes of the Northern Kazakhstan.
After the Great October Socialist Revolution in 1917 the Catholic Church had to go through the most terrible sufferings of a bloody communist's machine. Thus, most catholics found themselves in the steppes of Central Asia. Hundreds of priests repeated the way of martyrdom of their medieval predecessors and found their death in camps.We shall always honor the memory of Bishop Alexander Chira, priests Vladislav Bukovinskiyi and Alexander Staub, and sister Gertrude Detzel. On the 27th of June, 2001 the Holy Father
beatified two Kazakhstanian martyrs(greek-catholics): Bishop Nikita Budka and priest Alekseyi Zaritskij.In 30-40s in the Soviet Republic of Kazakhstan were deported a great number of people of different nations and from different parts of the USSR. There were a lot of Germans, Poles, Ukrainians, Belorussians, who were catholic by their faith. Poles, Ukrainians and Belorussians were deported in the first part of the 30s to the territory near the west boarder, as unreliable people. In the beginning of the war German people were deported from the Volga river region and other places. The people were left in bare steppes, and it was the beginning of winter.
The first wave of settling was connected with the moving of Poles from the Eastern Ukraine, who were against collectivization. The same happened with Germans, who lived in Russia. The people were moved in the goods wagons. It was a long travel to a new place; sometimes it took several weeks. During the travel a lot of people died, especially children and old people. It was very often when a whole village was settled in the new place, where a bare cold steppe met them.
Next wave of settling was after the occupation of Poland by the Soviet Union. During the four waves of settling, that lasted from February till May 1941, 400 thousand people were moved from the eastern Ukraine and Belorussia.NKVD (Pepople's Commissariat for Internal Affairs) gave people only 2 hours to pack their belongings, the number of which was limited. The first winter took a lot of people's lives. Most of those people were from cities, and they were not ready for a severe climate and physical work.
In August 28, after Hitler's attack against the Soviet Union, Stalin signed the order about the settling of Germans, who lived in the Volga river region. Those people had been living there since the 18th century. There were Lutherans, Baptists, Mennonites and Catholics among them. The total number became 450 thousands.
Since the first moment of soviet occupation in 1940, the Baltic countries (Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia) had been exposed to several waves of deportation. The great part of people, who were moved, were Catholics; they were settled to Kazakhstan and Central Asia. According the data the number of those people was approximately 200 thousands.
Next group of settlers- Ukrainians of Greek-Catholic Rite (cathoilics of Eastern Rite). They were settled in Kazakhstan and Siberia in 1940, but the biggest wave of deportation was in 1945-1946. The separate group of Catholics, who found themselves in Kazakhstan, were the former prisoners, who had to stay in Central Asia, because the government of the Soviet Union didn't let them come back. Together with parishioners were deported their priests. Some of them did it voluntarily, for example Fr. Tadeush Fedorovich. Most of priests were arrested and sent into camps, in which there were a lot of catholic clergymen. Those time the catholic people gathered in small groups in houses and read the Holy Scripture. They could be easily arrested and sent into camps.
After the death of Stalin and Hruschov's coming to power, in the middle of the 50s, most of arrested people were released from the camps, including Catholics and priests. One part of the priests went back home, another- decided to stay in Kazakhstan to help their parishes. The priests often traveled, moved from one settlement to another. When a priest came to a settlement, parishioners, who gathered at night, waited for him. During one night priests baptized several tens of children, confessed people, and gave a sacrament of marriage to tens of spouses. In some places the priests managed to build chapels. For example, one chapel was built in a settlement called Zelyeni Gai of Tselinograd region. In the end of 50s and beginning of 60s, a wave of Hruschov's administrative punitive measure against believers started; it was especially against priests. One part of them found themselves again in camps. The same happened with a priest Bronislav Dzhepetski.
Brezhnev's era gradually made the lives of Catholics easy. Kazakhstan begun to meet priests from Lithuania ( some of them were Jesuits). Other priests, who came back from camps or who traveled around the world, started to build churches. From the end of 60s and beginning of 70 some of the priests worked at the same place for a long time, so believers could have a chance to visit them. So several parishes appeared in the following cities: Chu, Kostanai, Tselinograd, Krasnoarmeika, Frunse, Dushanbe, Kurgan-Tube, Tashkent. One church center was in Karaganda, where from the end of 50s a priest constantly worked. When in the middle of 70s a Lithuanian Jesuit Albinas Dumblyackas came to Karaganda, it became a Church capital for the whole Central Asia.
Fr. Dumblyackas built the first church in Kazakhstan, he also helped a lot of young people to enter the Seminary in Riga, invited sisters to prepare young girls to understand their vocation. The sisters went from Lithuania and Tbilisi. There were also priests of Greek-Catholic Rite, who worked in Karaganda. Bishop Alexander Hira worked there too. Those people served for the people of Roman- Greek-Catholic Rite. In the end of the Soviet rule young priests and sisters, who were born in Kazakhstan, changed the place of the old ones.Now in Kazakhstan there are about 8 Milions of muslim-sunnites and 6.186.960 orthodoxs. Also about 360.000 catholics of Latin Rite live here, and a big greek-catholic community exists. After the falling of the Soviet Empire the catholics of Kazakhstan are trying to revive the Church which during the communist's time had been almost ruined. The Holy Father, Pope
John Paul II established new church structures in Kazakhstan. In spring, 1991 the Apostolic Administration of Kazakhstan and Central Asia were originated. It included four more republics besides Kazakhstan, they are Uzbekistan, Tadshikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan. In April 13, 1991 Jan Pawel Lenga was appointed as an Apostolic Administrator. Karaganda, the center of catholics' spiritual life and the city of martyrs, became the capital of the new Administration.Later, Kazakhstan established diplomatic relations with the Holy See. In 1995 Archbishop Marian Oles was appointed as the Apostolic Nuncio in Almaty. In 1997 the catholics of the rest republics of the Administration got the status missio"Sui juris". Now there are 250 parishes in Kazakhstan. More than 20 new churches and parish chapels have been build.
1998 turned out a historical year for the Church in Kazakhstan-the first High Spiritual Seminary under the patronage of St.Maria-the Mother of the Redeemer was founded. In September 24, 1998, an agreement of a close collaboration between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Holy Chair was signed; it opened a lot of perspectives in future for the Catholic Church in Kazakhstan. So Kazakhstan became the first republic of the former Soviet Union that took such a political step.
Because of the huge territory increasing number of churches, a new church structure was needed. In August 6, 1999 the Apostolic Administration of Kazakhstan was divided into the Diocese of Karaganda, with His Exellence Bishop Jan Pawel Lenga, and into new three Apostolic Administrations: in Astana (north of the
country) with Bishop Tomazh Peta,in Atyrau (west) with Monseignior Janusz Kaleta, and in Almaty (south of Kazakhstan) with Bishop Henry Theophilus Howaniec. Also "Caritas" was founded in Kazakhstan.It's touching to watch the Catholic Church in Kazakhstan growing bigger and bigger in all difficult conditions. Priests have to take care of all material and administrative questions; sometimes they start their work from nothing. It means that 62 priests and 74 sisters (nuns) of Kazakhstan have to work very hard to keep the presence of Christianity and charity in Kazakhstan in this difficult time, a new springtime for the Church in Kazakhstan.
Priest Gregor Prihodko
The History of Christianity in Kazakhstan and Central Asia
The ancient roots of Christianity in Kazakhstan and Central Asia
Kazakhstan, with a territory - 2.717.3000 sq.km (the territory is 500.000 sq.km more than of the European Union) spreading between the Volga and the Altai and Tian Shan ranges up to the boarder with China, became a witness of an unusual and amazing story of the spread of Christianity in Central Asia.
The first Christians appeared in Central Asia in the beginning of the 3rd century in the city of Merv (today- Turkmenistan), which was the center of the Northern Horasan. Modern archeological data established the appearance of the first christian buildings in the city by the end of the 2nd century AD. In the suburb of Merv there were a lot of worship buildings dated by the 3rd-4th century. In 334 an Episcopal pulpit was founded there. In the end of the 4th century and the beginning of the 5th century Melhitskiyi cloister was found.
The beginning of the 5th century is marked in the history of Central Asia by the foundation of an Episcopal Diocese in Merv for the Christians of the Nestorian persuasion with churches and cloisters. In Central Asia, the Nestorians, as the rest of Christians (Greek or Latin), got the name "Yelikowen Kiao", that means the Religion of the Gospel.
By the 13th century there were about 25 dioceses and about 150 bishops under supremacy of a Nestorian patriarch. One of the dioceses was founded in Marakand(Samarkand), the ancient capital of Sogdiana, the famous historical-cultural region of Central Asia.
The second part of the 7th century-the metropolitan of Merv, Elijah took part in conversion of Turkis. The conversion of the Turkic Kagan into Christianity was ascribed to the Bishop.In the 7th century Nestorianism widely spread in cities of the South Kazakhstan and Semirechie, that in the 9th-10th century brought to the foundation of Karluk Diocese. The Christian Churches worked in Taraz and Mirke. The Christians in the valley of the river Ili had their own church in Kayalik. In the 8th century the conversion of Uigurs happened.
In 1009 the Nestorian missionaries baptized one of the most numerous Mongol ethnic group - Kereits with a Khan who took a christian name Marguz (Mark). At the same time Nesterianism spread among different Central Asian ethnic groups, and two new dioceses in Kashgara and Navaketa were founded.
Nestorianism was famous in the families of powerful regents. In the families of Mongol emperors there were a lot of women at court who were christians. The most honourable ministers of Khans were either Uigur's or Kereit's nestorians. During the government of Khan Hubila the Great (1260-1295)two Venetian merchants Maffeo and Marko Polo found about 700 chinese families in the southern part of the country. Probable they were christians and belonged to one of surviving family of nestorians' (the elements of which would stay in a province of Fu-Kien, probably till the 17th century).
The Catholic missions of the 13th and 14th centuries.
The whole chain of historical-political events provoked the missionary interests of Latin West to Asian countries. The participation of Popes, represented by the legates in the development of relations between Western Europe and East, became constant in the 13th and 14th centuries. The appearance of beggarly monastic Orders defined the beginning of eastern missions of Middle Age. With their presence the desire to become Christian grew bigger. That�s why the Charter of the Franciscans� Order, since the time of its second edition (Regula Bullata), established rules for it. One of the brightest examples of missionary work of the Franciscans� became the traveling of Geom de Rubruk (1253-1255). It covered 16 thousand kilometers from Constantinople to Karakorum-the capital of the Desert Empire; it took 2 years to do it. The biggest part of Geom de Rubruk�s traveling was across the territory of today�s Kazakhstan. In his report we can meet a lot of information about that place and its population. During the traveling he met the Great Khan Munke who later became a Christian. Geom de Rubruk tried to help Khan Sartak, who was a son of Batu-Khan, a grandson of Chingizkhan, to understand the Christianity. In the middle of 1254 Duke Sartak became a Christian. Pope Innokenti IV was glad to know about it. Pope Nick III and the first steps of church structure organization on the territory of Kazakhstan and Central Asia. In 1278 the Holy See started to organize the church structure on the territory of Kazakhstan and Central Asia. A diocese organization was founded on the territory of Kipchak, and Pope Nick III became a head of it. That diocese became the first one on the territory of unchristian country. The Franciscans, who lived on the territory of Kipchak, got some benefits from a khan (may be Monke-Tymur (1267-1680)), which were renewed by his successors. Those benefits freed priests of Latin Rite from military service, rent and different taxes. It answered the legislation of Chingizkhan. Khans had to protect Catholic churches and chapels. The document, which was mentioned before, guaranteed constant and regulated situation of missionaries on the territory of the whole Empire.
Look:Agreement between the Holy See and the Republic of Kazakhstan
http://www.times.kg//2000/N01/sup-01.shtml
The first visit of ad Limina Apostolorum
INTERNATIONAL FIDES SERVICE ABOUT KAZAKHSTAN
Webmaster: jkaleta@nursat.kz