The Vatican Apostolic Library, a 500-year-old institution at the heart of Vatican City, has quietly opened a dedicated prayer room for Muslim scholars visiting to study its ancient manuscripts.
This modest space, equipped with a simple prayer rug, allows researchers to observe their daily prayers without interruption during extended research sessions. The idea originated from direct requests by Muslim academics who frequently collaborate on interfaith projects at the library and sought accommodations for their religious practices.
Library staff, led by its vice prefect, responded positively to these pleas, aiming to create a more welcoming environment for international visitors. The move underscores the Vatican’s broader push for inclusivity and academic exchange, building on Pope Francis’s emphasis on interreligious dialogue.
Despite these intentions, the decision has ignited fierce backlash from conservative Catholics and Christians. Critics have lambasted it as permitting a “rival faith to set up shop” in a sacred Catholic bastion, viewing it as an erosion of religious boundaries. Others raise theological alarms, arguing that accommodating Islamic worship within Vatican walls compromises Christian doctrine and invites spiritual confusion.
A common thread in the negative feedback is the perceived hypocrisy, with detractors questioning why such gestures aren’t reciprocated elsewhere. Many point out that major mosques in Mecca or Medina would never host a Christian prayer room, highlighting a one-sided interfaith courtesy that fuels accusations of naivety on the Vatican’s part.
We want to ask you, the reader: do you support the Vatican adding a Muslim prayer room? Answer in our poll below and comment your thoughts on the interfaith act.