Azerbaijan’s Muslim leader, Pope Leo XIV discuss interfaith cooperation

On November 1, 2025, Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazade, Chairman of the Caucasian Muslims Office, met with Pope Leo XIV, head of the Roman Catholic Church, during his official visit to the Vatican.

The meeting followed a general audience at St. Peter’s Square, where the two leaders engaged in a discussion on religious and cultural cooperation, as per domestic media.

During the meeting, Pashazade conveyed greetings from President Ilham Aliyev and First Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva to the Pope. He also emphasised the growing role of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation in the Vatican over recent years and provided an update on the construction of a second Catholic church in Azerbaijan.

Highlighting the importance of interfaith dialogue, Pashazade noted that a visit by Pope Leo XIV to Azerbaijan would be a tremendous honour. He stressed that such a visit would allow the Pope to witness firsthand the country’s high level of interreligious harmony, strong state-religion relations, and its rich multicultural environment.

Pope Leo XIV expressed his interest in visiting Azerbaijan and stated that he would coordinate the visit within his official schedule, signalling a potential milestone in strengthening religious and cultural ties between the two nations.

By Tamilla Hasanova