The geopolitics of Pope Francis' trip to Kazakhstan

null / Porcupen/ShutterstockRome Newsroom, Sep 12, 2022 / 12:00 pm (CNA).This week Pope Francis is traveling to Kazakhstan, a Muslim-majority country sandwiched between Russia and China.The pope has said that he sees the trip to the former Soviet country as "an opportunity to meet many religious representatives and to engage in dialogue as brothers, inspired by the mutual desire for peace, the peace our world thirsts for."The Sept. 13-15 visit to the Kazakh capital Nur-Sultan, formerly known as Astana, comes shortly after the pope concluded a meeting with the Vatican's diplomats from around the globe. And geopolitics will inevitably play a role in Pope Francis' "pilgrimage of dialogue and peace."RussiaRussia's war in Ukraine looms in the background of Pope Francis' trip to Central Asia, so much so that the papal plane will go out of its way to avoid flying through Russian airspace on Sept. 12 and will instead fly further south. Kazakhstan and Russia share a 4,750 mile bord...

Related Keywords

Moscow ,Moskva ,Russia ,Kazakhstan ,Xinjiang ,Jiangxi ,China ,United States ,Egypt ,Rome ,Lazio ,Italy ,Iran ,Vatican City ,Belarus ,Saudi Arabia ,Astana ,Gorod Astana ,Turkey ,Ukraine ,Holy See ,Chinese ,Soviet ,Russian ,Abu Dhabi ,Kassym Jomart Tokayev ,Ahmed El Tayeb ,Pope Franci ,Porcupen Shutterstock ,Vladimir Putin ,Pope Francis ,European Union ,United States Commission On International Religious Freedom ,Department Special Watch List ,Russian Orthodox Church ,Central Asia ,Kazakh President Kassym Jomart Tokayev ,Patriarch Kirill ,Metropolitan Antonij ,External Relations ,John Paul ,Sunni Muslims ,Orthodox Christians ,President Tokayev ,United States Commission ,International Religious Freedom ,State Department ,Special Watch List ,Traditional Religions ,Silk Road ,Central Asian ,Until March ,United Nations High Commissioner ,While Kazakhstan ,Gene Bunin ,Xinjiang Victims Database ,Needtobreathe ,Elient K ,Witchfoot ,Wl City ,Obymac ,Oby Mac ,Amie Grace ,Ars Of Clay ,Third Day ,Ercyme ,Ercy Me ,Uilding 429 ,Enth Avenue North ,He City Harmonic ,Or King And Country ,On Foreman ,Roup 1 Crew ,Eckah Shae ,Tephanie Smith ,Hris August ,Housand Foot Krutch ,Anafest ,Nthem Lights ,Att Maher ,Atthew West ,Udrey Assad ,Passion ,Hris Tomlin ,Asting Crowns ,Eremy Camp ,He Rocket Summer ,Ohn Reuben ,