Apostolic Journey to Kazakhstan

“Messengers of Peace and Unity” is the theme of Pope Francis’ Apostolic Journey to Kazakhstan, scheduled for 13 to 15 September. There he will participate in the VII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions.

The theme is written in Kazakh and Russian on the logo for the Apostolic Journey, which the Vatican made public on Tuesday, 23 August. At the centre, there is a dove carrying a green olive branch, a symbol of hope, in the shape of a typical Kazakh ornament. Its wings are in the form of two overlapping hands, representing the hands of messengers of peace and unity. The heart drawn inside the wings represents love, the fruit of mutual understanding, cooperation and dialogue. The blue background features a “shanyrak” — a typical structural element of a “yurt”, a traditional Kazakh dwelling — with a yellow cross at the centre. The colours blue and yellow are those of the flag of Kazakhstan, while the white and yellow those of the Vatican flag.