Why Vatican Under Pope Leo Approved Prayer Room for Muslims
- Muslim scholars visiting the Vatican Apostolic Library are now being offered dedicated prayer spaces, reflecting the institution’s inclusive ethos
- The library’s Vice Prefect confirmed the accommodation, depicting its role as a universal centre of learning
- Rare manuscripts, digital access, and interfaith hospitality continue to define the Vatican Library’s evolving legacy
The Vatican Apostolic Library has confirmed it is providing prayer facilities for Muslim scholars visiting the historic institution, in a move that depicting its commitment to inclusivity and interfaith academic collaboration.
Fr Giacomo Cardinali, Vice Prefect of the Vatican Library, revealed in an interview with Italian daily La Repubblica that Muslim academics had requested a designated area for prayer.
Source: Twitter
“Some Muslim scholars have asked us for a room with a carpet for praying and we have given it to them,” he said.
Prayer space reflects Vatican Library’s inclusive mission
Founded in the mid-15th century, the Vatican Apostolic Library is widely regarded as the intellectual heart of the Catholic Church. It houses an extensive collection of manuscripts and texts representing a multitude of religious and cultural traditions.
Fr Cardinali noted that the library’s holdings include “incredibly old Qurans” alongside Hebrew, Ethiopian, Arabic, and Chinese works.
“We are a universal library,” he explained, emphasising the institution’s role as a global repository of knowledge.
Rare Japanese archive and Spinoza manuscript
Among the more unusual items in the collection is what is believed to be the oldest medieval Japanese archive outside Japan. According to Fr Cardinali, the documents were preserved by Salesian missionary Father Mario Marega, who lived in Japan during the 1920s.
The missionary reportedly discovered the manuscripts when he saw children playing with a ball of paper made from ancient texts.
Recognising their value, he rescued them from a ruined castle, inadvertently saving them from destruction during the atomic bombing decades later. “It was either a sensational stroke of luck or an inspiration from above,” Fr Cardinali said.
The library’s holdings are vast, with an estimated 80,000 manuscripts, 50,000 archival items, nearly two million printed books, and over 100,000 engravings, prints, coins, and medals. Recent discoveries include a rare manuscript of Spinoza’s Ethics, unearthed in recent years.
The Vatican Library’s digital catalogue has made its resources more accessible to the public, though it has also attracted a wave of unusual inquiries.
Artificial Intelligence and the challenge of cataloguing historical texts
Fr Cardinali also addressed the growing role of artificial intelligence in scholarly research. While acknowledging its potential to assist in cataloguing, he cautioned against overreliance on technology.
Tracing its origins to Pope Nicholas V in 1451, the Vatican Apostolic Library continues to serve as one of the world’s foremost centres of Christian and human knowledge. Its decision to accommodate Muslim scholars with prayer space reflects a broader ethos of universal learning and cultural preservation.
Source: Twitter
How much will Pope Leo XIV be paid
Legit.ng earlier reported that the Pope, as the supreme leader of the Roman Catholic Church, commanded the spiritual devotion of over a billion Catholics worldwide.
Despite holding one of the most recognisable roles globally and governing a sovereign state, he did not receive a conventional salary, according to DailyMail UK.
Instead, the Vatican, the smallest independent country in the world, provided for all his needs, including accommodation, food, travel, healthcare, and security.
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