During his pontificate, the Blessed Woytila always held the dear people of Afghanistan in his heart. He did so for example at Christmas in 2002, when he pleaded for the children of Kabul. He also raised the local church to a missio sui iuris. Father Moretti, priest in Kabul, remembers the Holy Father.

Kabul (AsiaNews) – “The Blessed Pope John Paul II was always close to the suffering of the Afghan people,” said Fr Giuseppe Moretti, priest of the only church in Afghanistan, a chapel located inside the Italian Embassy in Kabul. Speaking to AsiaNews, he described how the small foreign Catholic community, diplomats and soldiers met yesterday in prayer to join spiritually the beatification of Pope John Paul II.

“Our small catacomb-like church had to share the joy of this event,” the priest said. “I asked for and received an audio cassette with Pope John Paul II’s speeches which we played during the Mass instead of the sermon to better remember him. Unfortunately, we were fewer in number because at present the whole country is on high alert. The united nations are not allowing their officials to go out. Soldiers from France and other nations usually come in large numbers but yesterday they were few or almost all absent.”

On Saturday, the Taleban announced the restart of their offensive. Yesterday was another day of bloodshed, with various attacks and shootings with a number of people killed and wounded. One suicide bomber was apparently a 12-year-old boy who blew himself up in a crowded market in Parktika Province, killing four people.

Following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, a year after he began his pontificate, John Paul II issued a call for peace at least ten times, during his annual meetings with the diplomatic corps at the Vatican as well as during the live TV broadcast of his Urbi et Orbi messages at Christmas and Easter.

Father Moretti remembers his “Save the children of Kabul” appeal of Christmas 2002, which resulted in the creation of a Kabul children’s association. “The latter brought together at least 15 congregations involved in children’s aid. Caritas Italy provided a lot of economic aid in the beginning. Today, a centre for brain-damaged children helps about 32 little patients with good results and happy parents.”

The clergyman also remembers that Afghanistan has always had a special place in the Pontiff’s heart. For instance, he created the missio sui iuris for Afghanistan on 16 May 2002, elevating a small chapel to a status akin to that of a diocese.

“In 2002, before I came back to Afghanistan, I had the chance of concelebrating Mass with the Holy Father,” he remembers. “He always followed what happened to us carefully. In 2003, he sent me a special, autographed blessing that was a source of help and comfort.”

For this reason, an afghan delegation headed by President Hamid Karzai and Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah attended the pope’s funeral in 2005.

“In our church, we also celebrated a memorial service, which the participation of six Afghan ministers and deputy ministers,” he said. “I quoted from his speeches, like the one he made during a meeting with young people in Casablanca and another made during his visit to Damascus.”

The clergyman also remembers that when the pontiff died, he had a small tablet with his image engraved by local sculptors. At present, it can be found inside his small church.

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