Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary of the Holy See for Relations with States and International Organizations, is on a visit to Azerbaijan.
Within the framework of the visit, on December 14, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher held a consecration ceremony of the area where the Catholic church will be built in honor of St. John Paul II with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the order of the Baku City Executive Authority on the instructions of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.
Soltan Mammadov, head of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation's international relations department, MP, Ramin Mammadov, Chairman of the State Committee on Affairs with Religious Associations, Bishop Vladimir Fekete of the Apostolic Prefecture of the Catholic Church, Marek Solchinski, Apostolic Nuncio of the Holy See in the Republic of Azerbaijan, Extraordinary General of the Holy See of Azerbaijan, were present at the ceremony. and Ambassador Plenipotentiary Ilgar Mukhtarov and other officials attended.
Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher was introduced to the project of the church.
It should be recalled that for the purpose of building the church, the Baku City Executive Government adopted the Order dated May 1, 2024 on the transfer of 0.17 hectares of land located at 722 Abbas Mirza Sharifzade Street, Yasamal District of the capital to the use of the Catholic Church in the Republic of Azerbaijan.