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Azerbaijan strengthens ties with Vatican/ Support for restoration of catacombs and a new Catholic church in Baku

2025-10-20 11:42:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Azerbaijan strengthens ties with Vatican/ Support for restoration of catacombs

First Vice-President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mehriban Aliyeva with Pope Leo XIV.

Azerbaijan is strengthening its relations with the Vatican and the Catholic world, supporting the restoration of historic catacombs at the Holy See and in parallel building a new Catholic church in Azerbaijan.

The historic Catacombs of Commodilla, dating back to the 4th century, have been fully restored at the Holy See with the support of Azerbaijan and were opened in a ceremony attended by the First Vice-President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mehriban Aliyeva.

The restoration project was carried out with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, according to an agreement signed on March 4, 2021, between the Foundation and the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology.

Discovered in the 18th century, the Catacombs of Commodilla were first subjected to archaeological research in 1900. The catacombs house some of the earliest artifacts of the Christian era and are traditionally known as the burial place of the early Christian martyrs Felicissimus and Agapitus. In the Middle Ages, they served as an important pilgrimage site for Christian believers.

During her visit to Rome, Aliyeva met with Pope Leo XIV, where the Pope highlighted interfaith dialogue with Azerbaijan. As part of her visit, she also inspected the Vatican Apostolic Library, reviewed restoration efforts at St. Peter's Basilica, and visited Bambino Gesu, the largest pediatric hospital in Europe.

Bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and the Holy See have witnessed significant development in recent years, with both sides actively engaged in restoration efforts, scientific cooperation, and cultural exchange.

As a further sign of this growing partnership, a second Catholic church, dedicated to Pope St. John Paul II, will be built in Baku. Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Vatican Secretary for Relations with States, blessed the construction site and laid the foundation stone for the new church in December 2024. The project reflects the growing Catholic community in Azerbaijan and the ongoing development of interfaith dialogue.