Cardinal Parolin marks historic visit to Kuwait

The Times Kuwait Report

Kuwait welcomed Vatican Secretary of State His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin last week who was on three-day official visit which coincided with the elevation of the Church of Our Lady of Arabia in Ahmadi to the status of a minor basilica — the first church in the Arabian Gulf to receive this honor.

The visit, aimed at strengthening Kuwait’s longstanding diplomatic and inter-faith ties with the Holy See, featured a series of high-level meetings and ceremonial events attended by prominent Kuwaiti dignitaries.

On the first day of his visit, H. E Cardinal Parolin was received at Bayan Palace by His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, in the presence of Foreign Minister Abdullah Al-Yahya. The discussions underscored the deep bonds of friendship and cooperation between Kuwait and the Holy See, rooted in shared humanitarian values, mutual respect and decades of diplomatic engagement.

His Eminence Eugene Martin Nugent, the Vatican Ambassador to Kuwait, represented the Holy See throughout the visit.
Mohammed Al-Basri, Director of Public Relations and Media at the Kuwait Oil Company, and Yousef Al-Kandari, Head of the company’s Public Relations Team, also welcomed the cardinal on behalf of the company that built the church in 1948.

The elevation of the Church of Our Lady of Arabia reflects Kuwait’s deep tradition of religious coexistence and its historical role as the first Gulf state to establish diplomatic relations with the Holy See in 1968.

During his stay, Cardinal Parolin also held discussions with religious leaders and members of the local Catholic community, emphasizing the importance of faith, dialogue and peace in the region’s diverse religious landscape.

Cardinal Parolin also conducted two Solemn Pontifical Masses at the Holy Family Co-Cathedral and the Minor Basilica of Our Lady of Arabia organized by His Excellency Bishop Aldo Beraradi, Apolostic Vicar of Northern Arabia