A Frail Pope Takes Message of Tolerance to Azerbaijan

BAKU, Azerbaijan--Spreading a message of religious tolerance, Pope John Paul II arrived here Wednesday on the 96th foreign trip of his papacy. But in a sign of increased frailty, he failed for the first time on such a journey to walk off his aircraft and instead was lowered to the runway by a special lift.

John Paul, 82, greeted assembled dignitaries and spoke for a few minutes in Russian, widely understood in this predominantly Muslim former Soviet republic. He then had an aide give the rest of his speech.

“Here at the gateway to the East, not far from where armed conflict continues cruelly and senselessly to prevail, I wish to raise my voice,” the Polish pontiff declared in the address. “I ask religious leaders to reject all violence as offensive to the name of God and to be tireless promoters of peace and harmony.”

The pontiff’s five-day tour, which includes Bulgaria, is part of a drive to improve the Vatican’s relations with the Muslim and Orthodox Christian worlds. Last year, during his visit to Syria, he became the first pope to visit and pray in a Muslim house of worship. Burying centuries of feuding between the Roman Catholic and Orthodox faiths is one of his goals.

Recent weeks have seen growing speculation among cardinals that John Paul, who suffers from arthritis and symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, might resign if his health deteriorates to the point where he can no longer govern the church. But the pope--in his 24th year as pontiff--has indicated that he has no plans to step down and that he hopes to continue to travel.

“As long as I have breath within me, I shall cry out: ‘Peace, in the name of God,’” he told Azerbaijani lawmakers at President Heydar A. Aliyev’s ornate office. He gave part of his speech in heavily slurred, barely audible Russian, then again had an aide take over.

At the airport and in the corridors of the presidential palace, the pope walked no more than a few steps. Instead he was wheeled around standing on mobile platforms with hand rails.

Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls told reporters that although the pope clearly faces physical constraints, “the question is whether these physical limitations impede him from carrying out his duties and traveling, and he is showing that they are not an impediment.”

In Baku, the capital, John Paul visited a monument to those killed in a pro-independence uprising that was crushed by Soviet tanks in 1990 and in fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh in the early 1990s. That enclave was part of Azerbaijan in the Soviet era but had a primarily Armenian population and is now controlled by Armenia, another former Soviet republic. A cease-fire has been in effect since 1994, but the threat of resumed fighting exists.

Aliyev, the Azerbaijani president, referred to the conflict in his airport welcoming speech.

“You propagate compassion and mercy, you pray for tolerance and consolation of those who encountered tragedy,” he told the pope. “There are victims of tragic events in Azerbaijan too. These are more than 1 million Azerbaijani refugees who lost their homes.... These people are in need of your kind words.... They hope for the triumph of justice, and they seek help from you.”

John Paul also addressed the issue.

“My thoughts go also to the emigrants and refugees in this country,” he said. “With the help of international solidarity, may their hopes be restored for a future of prosperity and peace in their own lands for themselves and for their dear ones.”

Peace everywhere must be based “on mutual respect, on the rejection of fundamentalism and every form of imperialism, on the pursuit of dialogue as the only effective means of resolving tensions, so that entire nations are saved from the cruelty of violence,” the pope said.

Vatican officials have indicated that one purpose of John Paul’s journey here is to counterbalance a visit he made last year to predominantly Christian Armenia. Many citizens here are hoping that the pope’s visit will draw attention to the plight of refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh and shift international opinion toward greater support for Azerbaijan’s claim to the territory.

Expectations are so high that there could be a public backlash if John Paul’s words today--when he is scheduled to meet refugees after conducting Mass at a sports hall--are deemed insufficient.

“In the Christian tradition, if religious figures know the truth and they hide it, it’s a great sin,” said Seherbey Kerbelaye, 76, a pensioner interviewed in Baku’s old town district. “If he’s really a religious figure he must tell the truth.” Azerbaijan has only about 100 Roman Catholics among its 7.7 million people, according to government statistics, with other Christian denominations making up less than 7% of the population. Without a Vatican mission or large church community to serve as host, the pope is staying in a hotel for the first time in his trips.