ASIA/UZBEKISTAN - The Bishops of Central Asia express “firm support” for Pope Leo XIV and elect Cardinal Marengo as President of the Bishops' conference

Tashkent (Fides News Agency) – The bishops of the Central Asian countries, who gathered in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, from April 15 to 19 for the Fifth Plenary Assembly of the Central Asian Bishops' Conference, reaffirmed their support for Pope Leo XIV in “his peacemaking efforts and pastoral ministry, exercised toward the flock entrusted to him and toward all those who suffer from wars and injustice.” At the beginning of their assembly, they thus expressed their solidarity with the Bishop of Rome following the verbal attacks by US President Donald Trump. According to a statement released at the end of the meeting, the participants offered “fervent prayers to the Lord for the gift of peace for all humanity.”

The meeting was attended by the bishops and ordinaries of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Mongolia, and Azerbaijan. At the beginning of the sessions, the Apostolic Nuncio to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, His Excellency Archbishop George Panamthundil, was present and shared his remarks. The Apostolic Nuncio to Uzbekistan and Russia, His Excellency Archbishop Giovanni D’Aniello, sent a message to the participants of the assembly.

On April 17, 2026, elections for the governing bodies of the Conference were held. Cardinal Giorgio Marengo was elected President of the Conference, Bishop José Luis Mumbiela Sierra as Vice President, and Bishop Yevgeniy Zinkovskiy as Secretary General.
During the plenary sessions, the bishops, in a spirit of fraternal communion, exchanged experiences of pastoral ministry, discussed the current challenges faced by the local Churches, and “shared the joys and hopes of the faithful, supporting one another in unity and responsibility for the mission entrusted to them.”

On April 18 in Tashkent, the Catholic ordinaries of Central Asia visited the Center of Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan. This visit became a significant sign of openness, mutual respect, and a commitment to fostering interreligious dialogue.
The ordinaries of Central Asia, as emphasized in their concluding statement, “call upon all the faithful to pray earnestly for peace for the peoples suffering from unjust wars, entrusting them to the special intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Peace, and imploring the gift of a just and lasting peace for all.” (GV) (Fides News Agency, 20/4/2026)

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