Vatican and Italian press widely covered the meeting of the First Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva with the Pope

Leading media of the Holy See and Italy widely covered the meeting of the First Vice President of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva with Pope Leo XIV, which took place on October 17 during her official visit to the Vatican.

As reported by BAKU.WS, materials published by Vatican News portal, L'Osservatore Romano newspaper - the only official print publication of the Vatican, Catholic news agencies ACI Stampa and Agenzia S.I.R., as well as the Italian Catholic community newspaper Faro di Roma, emphasize that bilateral relations between the Holy See and Azerbaijan have developed significantly in recent years.

Additionally, the materials note that the First Vice President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva also met with the Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

Paying special attention to cultural cooperation, the parties expressed satisfaction with the development and strengthening of existing bilateral relations, and highly appreciated the activities of the Catholic Church in Azerbaijan. The meeting, held in an atmosphere of sincerity and mutual respect, confirms the desire to continue dialogue and cooperation between the Holy See and Azerbaijan.

The articles also report that on October 16, with the participation of First Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva, an opening ceremony was held for the restoration project of the Catacombs of Saint Commodilla. It is brought to attention that the catacombs, where the first artifacts of the early Christian period are located, are also known for being the burial place of Christian martyrs Felix and Adauctus, and were a place of pilgrimage for believers in the Middle Ages. On March 4, 2021, an agreement was signed between the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology for the restoration of the Commodilla Catacombs. Previously, thanks to the foundation's efforts, restoration projects were implemented for the Catacombs of Saints Marcellinus and Peter, as well as Saint Sebastian.

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