May 24, 2002 - 00:19 AMT
BAKU LEADERSHIP TRIED TO MAKE USE OF POPE'S VISIT FOR POLITICAL PURPOSES
Vatican will finance the building of a new Catholic Church in Baku, the first stone of the foundation of which will be laid in the nearest future. The secretary of Pope John-Paul II, who is in Azerbaijan now, has stated it today. It is was expected, the Pope himself should have told about the building of the church, but the state of the health of the Catholic church head did not let him finish his speech. The secretariat had to read the rest of the speech of the Pope. John Pail II himself spoke very slowly and in low tones. 82-year-old Pope moved with the help of special cart that was pushed on by the security guards. Today morning after the mess said by John Paul II a group of refugees from Armenia was led to the Pope in order that they told him about "evil deeds" of Armenians. The tired Pope could not speak to them. In the afternoon the Pope left Baku for Sofia.