Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, has arrived in Kuwait for a three-day official visit. The visit centers on the elevation of Our Lady of Arabia Church in Ahmadi to a minor basilica the first such designation in the Arabian Peninsula. Cardinal Parolin will preside over the formal ceremony on January 16.
Monsignor Eugene Martin Nugent, the Apostolic Nuncio to Kuwait, highlighted the church’s historical role as a spiritual hub for Catholics in the Gulf since 1958. He noted Kuwait’s unique position as the first Gulf state to establish diplomatic ties with the Holy See in 1968 and praised the country’s tradition of religious coexistence. The visit aims to strengthen bilateral relations and underscore the Vatican’s commitment to interfaith dialogue in the region.
