A new prayer room specifically for Muslims has been established in the Vatican Apostolic Library, which dates back 500 years, following requests from visiting Islamic scholars for a distinct prayer area.
According to a report in the catholic herald, Deputy Governor Father Giacomo Cardinali spoke to an Italian newspaper, La Repubblica, stating that the library had agreed to provide a space for prayer. He remarked, “Some Muslim scholars asked for a room with a carpet for prayer, and we granted their request.”
In the same interview, Cardinali highlighted the library’s extensive collections, which encompass roughly 80,000 manuscripts, 50,000 archival items, around 2 million printed volumes, along with numerous coins, medals, sculptures, and prints.
Founded in the mid-15th century, the library serves as a key intellectual hub for the Catholic Church, showcasing a diverse array of manuscripts and documents from various religions and cultures worldwide.
Father Cardinali mentioned that this collection features “an incredibly ancient Koran,” along with texts in Hebrew, Ethiopian, Arabic, and Chinese. “We are a universal library,” he emphasized.
Located in Vatican City and initiated by Pope Nicholas V in 1451, this library has become one of the premier repositories of Christian and global knowledge over the centuries.
However, the provision for Muslims to have designated prayer spaces raises concerns regarding Islamic regulations surrounding sacred sites.
Notably, non-Muslims are prohibited from entering Mecca, Saudi Arabia, with serious consequences, including imprisonment and deportation, for those who attempt to do so.
