Following his January 9 Angelus address, Pope Francis appealed for an end to violence in the Central Asian nation (map), where protests erupted on January 2.
“I have learned with sorrow that there have been victims during the protests that have broken out in recent days in Kazakhstan,” the Pope said. “I pray for them and for their families, and I hope that social harmony will be restored as soon as possible through the search for dialogue, justice and the common good. I entrust the Kazakh people to the protection of Our Lady, Queen of Peace of Oziornoje.”