By Ellen Russell Beatty
Ponder This
Ellen Russell Beatty
The international media have reported on the papal visit this September to Kazakhstan, the immense country in central Asia, to participate in an interreligious congress in the capital city of Nur-Sultan, just recently renamed to its original title, Astana.
Pope Francis has written three encyclicals, addressed specifically to the Catholic community but containing views of the pontiff that can resonate for all, with such statements as “No to war and globalized indifference.” During his Kazakhstan stay, the pope drew from these previous letters, with themes of universal peace and hope for human kind.
“The good of humanity should be taken into consideration ahead of strategic and economic objectives, national, energy and military interests, and in advance of crucial decisions,” the pontiff said.
Appropriate to the purpose of this particular meeting, the 7th Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, the pope set a purpose and helpful role for all people, institutions and religions. He reiterated that human beings are weakened by the pandemic, worn out by war, wounded by indifference.
“Human beings, frail and marvelous creatures, left in darkness and apart from others cannot survive,” he said.
Francis refers often to human fraternity, but the concept addresses inclusive social concern. Critics may interpret fraternity to be too narrow, as brotherhood, but one can discern a call for gender equity within the pope’s message. Based on his namesake and Franciscan spirituality, Francis begs people to care tenderly for one another. Kindness is essential to help one another become free of anxiety in the frantic pace of the modern world.
Why did this papal visit and interreligious congress resonate in Kazakhstan? It was the last Soviet Republic to declare independence in 1991, a large central Asian country with Russia to the north and bordered by China. Kazakhstan has a large economy with a robust future based on rich resources. Kazakhstan has people of many languages, ethnicities and cultures: German, Polish, French, Russian, Slovak. An overwhelming majority (70 percent) are Muslim, with only a tiny percentage (1 percent) Catholic and approximately 25 percent orthodox Christian.
Yet there was great enthusiasm for the papal visit. Kazaks of all faiths welcomed Francis as a world and spiritual leader bringing a message of hope, concern, renewal and peace. For many this was experienced not only as a religious message but a suggestion for improved humanity. “Social friendship,” as the universal scope of the pontiff’s message, rang true in the far reaches of Kazakhstan.
These people have known long suffering. Soviet policies moved approximately 2 million non-Russian populations to Kazakhstan. People learned to coexist in this large landlocked country. Their message of living together in peace while striving to work together may be a lesson for us all.
Some critics have used the message to care for each other as an ideological affront to globalism, commerce and restricted immigration. Of course, the pontiff writes from a Christian perspective, but the message can be universal and immediate, met with joyful hope across an immense area of central Asia.
The pontiff spoke of diverting the enormous expense of war to support people and populations, calling on our collective strength as shared members of the human community to join together to make a better future.
Dr. Ellen Russell Beatty served seven years as Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs at Southern Connecticut State University, and also served as interim Academic Vice president, Dean of Health & Human Services and Director of Faculty Development. In addition to the broad perspective and a multitude of skills required of high-level administrators, her areas of special expertise lie in strategic planning, accreditation, assessment and planning and budgetary allocation.