Roman Catholicism in Kyrgyzstan
Encyclopedia
The Roman Catholic Church in Kyrgyzstan is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope
and curia
in Rome
.
, Talas
, and Jalal-Abad
) and Mass centers in other towns and villages. Jesuit Bishop Nikolaus Messmer is the current head of the apostolic administration that covers the whole country. The country is served by five Jesuit and two diocesan priests, as well as five Franciscan sisters. Most of the Catholics in the country are the descendents of Germans, Poles and other European ethnic groups who were deported to Central Asia by Joseph Stalin in the 1930s and 1940s.
The first Catholic church in the country was built in 1969 by faithful of German descent, and was also granted legal recognition that same year. A second floor was built in 1981 because of community growth.
based in Karaganda
, Kazakhstan
. In 1997, Pope John Paul II
established the sui-juris Catholic Mission for Kyrgyzstan under the care of the Jesuit religious order. In 2006, it was raised to an Apostolic Administration and Nikolaus Messmer was named the country's first Catholic bishop. The Vatican has established diplomatic relations with Kyrgyzstan. The church operates relatively freely in the country, though it has had registration problems with the state committee on religious affairs. Priests have difficulty working in the country as many are foreigners and must get permits or student visas. Long distance travel is common for the few priests in the country to visit the large number of small Catholic communities in the country. Ecumenical relations with other Christian churches are positive, especially at the local level.
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
and curia
Curia
A curia in early Roman times was a subdivision of the people, i.e. more or less a tribe, and with a metonymy it came to mean also the meeting place where the tribe discussed its affairs...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
.
Demographics
There are approximately 1500 Catholics in the country with three parishes (BishkekBishkek
Bishkek , formerly Pishpek and Frunze, is the capital and the largest city of Kyrgyzstan.Bishkek is also the administrative centre of Chuy Province which surrounds the city, even though the city itself is not part of the province but rather a province-level unit of Kyrgyzstan.The name is thought to...
, Talas
Talas, Kyrgyzstan
Talas is a small town in northwestern Kyrgyzstan, located in the Talas River valley between two imposing mountain ranges. Its geographical location is and its population is 32,538 . It is the administrative headquarters of Talas province. The town was founded by East Slavic settlers in 1877...
, and Jalal-Abad
Jalal-Abad
Jalalabat is the administrative and economic centre of Jalal-Abad Province in southwestern Kyrgyzstan, with a population of about 150,000...
) and Mass centers in other towns and villages. Jesuit Bishop Nikolaus Messmer is the current head of the apostolic administration that covers the whole country. The country is served by five Jesuit and two diocesan priests, as well as five Franciscan sisters. Most of the Catholics in the country are the descendents of Germans, Poles and other European ethnic groups who were deported to Central Asia by Joseph Stalin in the 1930s and 1940s.
History
The Catholics are mentioned in this region since 14th century, mainly on the territory of today's Kazakhstan. The Roman Catholic missionaries came in Kyrgyzstan mainly from China, till turn of 19th and 20th centuries. Since 1918 to 1930, the area of Kyrgyzstan came under the parish of Tashkent. In 1937, there started the persecution of Roman Catholic Church, the churches were destroyed and all priests were deported or executed. In that time, because of mass deportations into Central Asia (that had no parallel even in tsar era), came to influx of Catholics from Volga area, Ukraine, Poland and Baltic Sea area.The first Catholic church in the country was built in 1969 by faithful of German descent, and was also granted legal recognition that same year. A second floor was built in 1981 because of community growth.
1991 to the present
After Kyrgyzstan's independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, the country became part of the Apostolic Administration for Central AsiaCentral Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
based in Karaganda
Karaganda
Karagandy , more commonly known by its Russian name Karaganda, , is the capital of Karagandy Province in Kazakhstan. It is the fourth most populous city in Kazakhstan, behind Almaty , Astana and Shymkent, with a population of 471,800 . In the 1940s up to 70% of the city's inhabitants were ethnic...
, Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
. In 1997, Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
established the sui-juris Catholic Mission for Kyrgyzstan under the care of the Jesuit religious order. In 2006, it was raised to an Apostolic Administration and Nikolaus Messmer was named the country's first Catholic bishop. The Vatican has established diplomatic relations with Kyrgyzstan. The church operates relatively freely in the country, though it has had registration problems with the state committee on religious affairs. Priests have difficulty working in the country as many are foreigners and must get permits or student visas. Long distance travel is common for the few priests in the country to visit the large number of small Catholic communities in the country. Ecumenical relations with other Christian churches are positive, especially at the local level.
External links
- The Catholic Church in Kyrgyzstan
- Catholic Church in Kyrgyzstan (from the *Catholic-Hierarchy website)
- New Bishops for Kazakhstan and Kirgystan - Germans in Russia Heritage Collection, North Dakota State University
- First Catholic Bishop to Kyrgyzstan Consecrated in Rome - Jesuits in Europe News
- Church Aids Victims of June 2010 Violence in Southern Kyrgyzstan - Catholic Relief Services
- A Catholic Priest in Kyrgyzstan - America Magazine