Azerbaijani becomes the 56th language of Vatican media

Azerbaijani is therefore added to the long list of languages already available on the Holy See's Vatican News website. The news outlet currently publishes information in 56 languages, including Hindi, Chinese, Esperanto, Hebrew, Vietnamese, Swedish, Latin (a news podcast), and sign language (for video broadcasts).

In 2024, two new languages were added: Mongolian and Kannada, an Indian regional language spoken by nearly 58 million people.

As with these languages, the production of content in Azerbaijani is mostly limited to the translation of articles written by the Vatican News teams in Rome. The only journalist in charge of these translations lives in Azerbaijan and works under the supervision of the apostolic vicariate.

There are no radio programs in Azerbaijani broadcast by Vatican Radio at the moment.

Founded in 1931 by Pope Pius XI, this radio station broadcasts the Pope's words in 30 languages in more than 70 countries around the world.

Bishop Vladimir Fekete, Apostolic Prefect of Baku and the country's only bishop, supported the launch of the initiative.

He emphasized that most members of the Catholic community of about 600 people in Azerbaijan “do not speak other languages” besides Azerbaijani. The Benedictine said he was convinced that the launch of the site “will also be a valuable resource for many non-believers and members of other religions.”

Andrea Tornielli, editorial director of the Vatican media, said that Vatican News in Azerbaijani “is not only a way of bringing the Pope’s message to more people but also an important step in fostering dialogue between religions.”

Among the first articles published in Azerbaijani on Vatican News is an article titled “Christians and Muslims: who do we want to be together?” on the occasion of Ramadan.

The date of the launch, the 20th anniversary of the death of John Paul II, was not chosen at random by the Holy See. The Polish pope was in fact the first pontiff to visit Azerbaijan in 2002. Pope Francis in turn visited in 2016, after a stopover in Georgia.

Azerbaijan is a country with a Shiite Muslim majority whose president has visited the Vatican several times. Over the years, it has emerged as a privileged partner for the Holy See in its desire to promote dialogue with Islam. However, the pontiff recently warned about the disappearance of Christian populations in the Caucasus.

During his trip to Baku in 2016, Pope Francis also emphasized the importance of “sincere dialogue” with Armenia, with which Azerbaijan has been in conflict since the fall of the USSR.

In 2024, he again encouraged the warring parties to reach a “definitive peace agreement” after the Azerbaijani army took over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. This operation resulted in the exile of the local Armenian populations and the destruction of part of their religious heritage.

The Holy See and Azerbaijan have maintained significant ties in recent years, particularly in the cultural domain. For example, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, an entity dependent on the Azerbaijani state, is currently financing the restoration of the Commodilla catacombs in Rome.

This Azerbaijani patronage could be part of a large-scale soft power strategy. The Caucasian republic, rich from its income generated by Caspian Sea hydrocarbons, has made a number of Church-related investments, particularly in recent years. It has restored a bas-relief representing the meeting of Pope Leo I and Attila in St. Peter's Basilica, as well as a church located in Qabala, Azerbaijan.

These substantial financial commitments are, however, raising questions. Many voices have criticized the Holy See's caution regarding the Armenian conflict. In particular, the small state has systematically refrained from condemning Azerbaijan as an aggressor, despite calls from the Armenian Christian community and the Supreme Patriarch of All Armenians, Karekin II.