Roman Catholic Church in Kyrgyzstan

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The Roman Catholic Church in Kyrgyzstan only comprises around 1,000 of the around 5.5 million inhabitants (as of 2014).

The Kyrgyz Republic has been a secular state since its independence in 1991 , with the majority of the population belonging to Islam .

history

The first Christians already existed in the 7th century. These belonged to the Nestorian Church , which today only exists in Iraq , Iran and Syria . Two churches were excavated in Ak-Besim and in Navekat . The spread of Catholicism in the country is mainly carried out through Jesuit missionaries . In 1969 the parish was registered in the capital Bishkek . After the collapse of the Soviet Union , the Catholic Church was able to develop again. However, most Catholics immigrated to Germany because they were of German descent, and only a small minority remained in the country. In 1991 Pope John Paul II established the apostolic administration of Kazakhstan , which initially included Kyrgyzstan. In 1997 Pope John Paul II founded the Mission sui juris in Kyrgyzstan . On March 18, 2006, Pope Benedict XVI. This mission sui juris called up the apostolic administration Kyrgyzstan with its seat in Bishkek and appointed the Jesuit Nikolaus Messmer as the first apostolic administrator .

structure

Catholic churches are located in Bishkek (St. Michael Cathedral , built in 2000), Talas (" Brother Klaus "), Jalalabat and Osh .

The Catholics are mostly members of the German minority. The circumstances of the dispensation of the sacraments and pastoral care are characterized by long distances and long car journeys, services often take place in small groups in private apartments. In 2017, eight Jesuits and some nuns are looking after the Catholics in Kyrgyzstan. The Jesuits run a holiday home for children and young people on Issyk Kul .

See also

literature

  • Klaus Väthröder: More sheep than Catholics. In: jesuitenweltweit. Christmas 2017 edition, pp. 23–27

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Bishop Messmer from Kyrgyzstan visits the Diocese of Eichstätt. Internet presence of the Diocese of Eichstätt from February 5, 2014, accessed on November 21, 2017.
  2. ^ Purchase of a house as a parish center for the parish in the capital Bishkek. Internet presence of the aid organization Church in Not , accessed on November 21, 2017.
  3. ↑ http://stiftung-jesuitalumni.de/neubau-einer-kleinen-kirche-in-talas-kirgistan/
  4. ↑ https://www.kath.ch/newsd/bruder-klaus-erobert-zentralasien/
  5. ^ Catholic Church of Kyrgyzstan. Retrieved February 7, 2020 .