Vatican News has expanded its multilingual service by adding Azerbaijani. As of April 2, 2025, and on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the death of Saint John Paul II - the first Pope to visit Azerbaijan - Vatican News is now available in 56 languages, including Italian, Spanish, English, and French sign languages.

Bishop Vladimír Fekete, S.D.B., the Apostolic Prefect of Azerbaijan, recalled Pope John Paul II’s visit to the country in 2002. "In his homily in Baku on the 23rd of May 2002, Saint John Paul II stressed that the small Catholic community in the country must be a leaven and a guiding spirit in society. In today’s world, the media is an increasingly powerful tool for spreading the truth, fostering hope, and strengthening the faith of believers,” he noted.

Bishop Fekete, who supported the initiative, which comes as a collaboration with the Dicastery for Communication, explained that “most local Catholics in Azerbaijan do not speak other languages, and they often rely on sources that are not always reliable to learn about the universal Church. That is why we decided to launch this project with Vatican Radio – Vatican News to promote knowledge and strengthen faith.”

“Now,” he added, “everyone will have the opportunity to read the words of the Holy Father and stay up to date with key developments in the universal Church in their own language. I am certain this will also be a valuable resource for many non-believers and members of other religions.”

He also highlighted Azerbaijani is not only spoken in Azerbaijan but by around 30 million Azerbaijanis worldwide.

He concluded by entrusting this project to the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary “in the hope that all our readers will find Vatican News to be a meaningful and reliable companion in their spiritual and daily lives.”

Strengthening the fabric of communication

Paolo Ruffini, Prefect of the Vatican Dicastery for Communication, stressed that “every fabric is made up of countless interwoven threads, and so too is our communication network. As of today, thanks to the collaboration of Bishop Vladimír Fekete and the Apostolic Prefecture of Azerbaijan, that network also speaks Azerbaijani.”

He added that “every language plays a vital role in the living structure of the Church that we build, day by day. During his visit to Baku in October 2016, Pope Francis praised the small Azerbaijani Catholic community, likening it to the first disciples gathered in the Upper Room, waiting for the Holy Spirit to descend.”

Dr. Ruffini went on to note that “adding Azerbaijani to the many languages of Vatican News is our way of demonstrating that in the Church, no one is greater or lesser than another. Pope Francis once said that two things are essential to living the fullness of communion: in the Upper Room, there was the Mother, and there was charity - the fraternal love poured out by the Holy Spirit.”

"Even today, speaking to one another, understanding each other in the language of love, building a community of goodwill, and making the unity we share in the Church our most powerful means of communication - this is our mission in a world that risks becoming lost in the confusion of Babel.”

A bridge for dialogue

Alongside the Prefect, the Editorial Director of the Dicastery for Communication, Andrea Tornielli, explained 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. In a world shaken by war and violence, the words of the Successor of Peter offer a bridge to all who refuse to surrender to division and hatred, seeking instead to build paths of encounter, mutual understanding, and fraternity.”

Massimiliano Menichetti, the Deputy Editorial Director and Head of Vatican Radio – Vatican News, highlighted the importance of this new addition as “a crucial step, as it allows millions of people direct access to the Pope, the universal Church, and news from the Holy See.”

“In recent years,” he continued, “we have been strengthening our partnerships with local Churches to build connections and support new information and evangelization projects worldwide. Our vision is to combine expertise and resources to create shared, decentralized networks.”

He concluded by noting that “on the one hand, this will establish a dynamic and collaborative communication network, while on the other, it will nurture local talent and encourage growth within different communities. Our dream is to create a platform where Catholic communities across the world are fully connected, enabling them to share not only texts, images, and audio in real time but also the lived experience of the Church, wherever they may be.”