What was the site of Expo in 2017 was converted into the large terrace where Pope Francis celebrated Mass for Kazakhstan's Catholic community.
On the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, the Pope asked those present to remember the suffering of the past, especially in their country.
POPE FRANCIS
I think of the fiery serpents of violence, of atheistic persecution, of a sometimes tortuous path during which the freedom of people was threatened, and their dignity wounded.
He said that these moments of suffering are valuable for learning from experience and avoiding the same mistakes.
POPE FRANCIS
It is good for us to keep the memory of what we have suffered, we must not cut out certain shadows from our memory, or else we may think it is water under the bridge and that the path of the good is always ahead. No, peace is never earned once and for all, it must be won every day.
He reminded Kazakhstan's Catholic community of Pope John Paul II's words, stating that each day they must achieve a harmonious coexistence with their non-Catholic neighbors and those from different ethnic groups.
Although Pope Francis' trip to Kazakhstan is not strictly pastoral in nature, he was able to make time to celebrate Mass with the country's miniscule Catholic community that makes up just 0.01% of the population, or some 100,000 people.
JRB
TR: JM
