Pope John Paul II called for a " just solution " to the Soviet &ndash; Afghan war in the 1980s . Fr . Giuseppe Moretti was first came to Afghanistan in 1977 , and stayed until he was shot when the Italian embassy was attacked in 1994 and was forced to leave the country . From 1990 to 1994 he was the only Catholic priest in the country . After 1994 , only the Little Sisters of Jesus were allowed to remain in Afghanistan , as they had been there since 1955 and their work was well known . An official from the last pro-Communist government of Mohammad Najibullah went to see Fr . Moretti in 1992 with a sketch for a small compound that would be guaranteed immunity . However , nothing came of it as the political situation in Afghanistan unravelled &mdash; the civil war escalated and the Taliban came to power . Fr . Moretti again was forced to flee but he later returned . Following the attacks of September 11 , 2001 , Catholic Relief Services sent clothing , food and bedding to returning refugees and internally displaced persons . They also bought school supplies for children returning to school
attacks of September 11 , 2001
September 11 attacks
Catholic Church in Afghanistan