Catholic Church in Tajikistan

The Catholic Church in Tajikistan is part of the worldwide Catholic Church in Tajikistan (West Turkistan, Central Asia), under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome.

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In 2009, the size of the community was estimated at 300 people.[1] By 2020, the number was believed to be 100 people, with 4 priests and 8 nuns across two parishes.[2][3]

This Mission sui iuris (pre-diocesan jurisdiction, also known as Independent Mission) for the Catholics is exempt, i.e. directly subject to the Holy See (not part of any ecclesiastical province), and comprises three churches (in the Tajik capital Dushanbe, and Vakhsh near Bokhtar), but no see.

History

In modern times the Catholic Church obtained a presence in Tajikistan through Soviet deportations, and in 1974, churches were opened in Dushanbe (St Joseph Church, Dushanbe) and Qurghonteppa.[4] Most of the early Catholics were Germans of Russian, Ukrainian and Lithuanian origin.[5] Many Catholics fled the 1990s civil war following the Soviet Union collapse.[4] In 1997, Pope John Paul II created a mission sui iuris for the country to be administered by the Institute of the Incarnate Word of Argentina.[4] On 29 September 1997, the Holy See established the Mission sui iuris on territory split off from the then Apostolic Administration of Kazakhstan (shortly after promoted to Diocese of Karaganda, after missiones sui iuris were also split off for Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, all in 1997).

The Institute sent priests from South America to Tajikistan. In 2003, the Church opened a center and soup kitchen in Dushanbe for homeless children.[6] By 2004, the mission had three parishes, one mission center, five priests, four nuns of the Missionaries of Charity, and its own website.[4] In 2005, three sisters of the Servants of the Lord and Our Lady of Matara came to live in Tajikistan.[7] The Missionaries of Charity started sewing classes for young women in 2006 so they might develop skills and further their education.[8] In July 2007, Father Avila joined with the 22 non-Islamic religious groups in the country to object to a bill that would greatly restrict the activities of religious minorities.[9] In March 2008, many poor and elderly citizens queued at the nuns house in Dushanbe to receive aid from Caritas Tajikistan, Care International and United States Catholic Relief Service to survive the harsh winter.[10] In 2012, there were three Tajiks studying for the priesthood and three who wished to be nuns.[5]

Ecclesiastical superiors
So far, all its superiors were Argentina-born missionary members of the Institute of the Incarnate Word (I.V.E.)
  • Father Carlos Antonio Ávila, I.V.E. (1997.09.29 – 2013.09.19)
  • Father Pedro Ramiro López, I.V.E. (2013.09.19 – ...)[11]

See also

References
  1. Faskhutdinov, Galim (2009-12-24). Католическая община в Таджикистане празднует Рождество (in Russian). Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 2015-02-16.
  2. Catholics And Culture website, retrieved 2023-08-03
  3. The ARDA website, retrieved 2023-08-03
  4. Zenit staff (2004-10-05). "Church in Tajikistan Joins Internet". zenit.org. Retrieved 2013-02-10.
  5. Carlos Avila (2012-09-29). "Catholics celebrate the anniversary of Tajikistan's Sui Iuris mission". AsiaNews.it. Retrieved 2013-02-10.
  6. Fides staff (2011-05-28). "Asia/Tajikistan - Street children and adolescents are victims of Islamic extremists". Fides. Archived from the original on 2013-04-15. Retrieved 2013-02-11.
  7. Fides staff (2005-04-26). "Asia/Tajikistan - Small Catholic community in Tajikistan welcomes three new missionaries, Sisters of the Congregation of the Servants of the Lord and Our Lady of Matara". Fides. Archived from the original on 2008-12-03. Retrieved 2013-02-11.
  8. Catholic News Agency staff (2006-11-30). "Missionaries of Charity offer Muslim girls professional training". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 2013-02-11.
  9. AsiaNews.it staff (2007-07-04). "Draft law to ban religious minorities". asianews.it. Retrieved 2013-02-11.
  10. Zenit staff (2008-03-05). "Catholics help Tajikistan's poor survive extreme cold". asianews.it. Retrieved 2013-02-10.
  11. Catholic Hierarchy website, retrieved 2023-08-03
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