Monday, March 17, 2008 at 2:02am
Saudis may allow Catholic church
The Vatican is negotiating with the Saudi Arabian government to allow construction of a Catholic church in that country, Vatican Radio reports. The officially Muslim country has not allowed the construction of any non-Muslim place of worship, allows no religion other than Islam to schedule public services and even forbids possession of Bibles, rosaries and crucifixes, Catholic World News reported Monday.
There are 800,000 Catholics there — virtually all of them foreign workers— but Saudi Arabia is the only country on the Arabian Peninsula without a Catholic church. Saudi Arabia does not have formal diplomatic relations with the Holy See, but in November 2007, King Abdullah became the first reigning Saudi monarch ever to visit the Vatican. Vatican officials confirmed the Pontiff pressed for permission to open a Catholic church in Saudi Arabia.
Father Federico Lombardi, the spokesman for the Holy See, said opening a Catholic parish in the Islamic land would be "a historic achievement" for religious freedom and a major step forward for inter-religious dialogue. The apostolic nuncio to Kuwait, Qatar, Yemen, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain, Archbishop Paul-Mounged El-Hachem, is reportedly the lead Vatican negotiator in talks with Saudi officials.
There are 800,000 Catholics there — virtually all of them foreign workers— but Saudi Arabia is the only country on the Arabian Peninsula without a Catholic church. Saudi Arabia does not have formal diplomatic relations with the Holy See, but in November 2007, King Abdullah became the first reigning Saudi monarch ever to visit the Vatican. Vatican officials confirmed the Pontiff pressed for permission to open a Catholic church in Saudi Arabia.
Father Federico Lombardi, the spokesman for the Holy See, said opening a Catholic parish in the Islamic land would be "a historic achievement" for religious freedom and a major step forward for inter-religious dialogue. The apostolic nuncio to Kuwait, Qatar, Yemen, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain, Archbishop Paul-Mounged El-Hachem, is reportedly the lead Vatican negotiator in talks with Saudi officials.