Archbishop Mamberti was keen on dispelling any confusion in this regard during a luncheon set up by the Vatican Ambassadors, which took place in Rome, Kuwait’s non-resident Ambassador to the Vatican, based in Switzerland, Dr Suhail Shuhaiber told KUNA.
“The Holy See had no intentions in moving its representation from Kuwait, which was the first Gulf country to establish diplomatic ties with the Vatican, given the historic relations that unite us together that we have been cherishing for over 41 years,” Archbishop Mamberti was quoted as saying.
Shuhaiber said that the Archbishop considered the rumor saying that the Vatican was to move its representation from Kuwait was due a misinterpretation of what was announced by Bishop Camillo Ballin when his responsibility was then limited to the Catholic Church in Kuwait.
Bishop Ballin said then that he also became responsible for the Catholic parish’s religious affairs in Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia in addition to Kuwait, and that the Vatican representation will widen its scope by having another location in Bahrain along with its existing Embassy in Kuwait.
In this regard, Shuhaiber added that Archbishop Mamberti stressed that Archbishop Peter Rajic is the Apostolic Nuncio in Kuwait, and not Archbishop Ballin, and that is what the Acting Vatican Minister to Kuwait rushed to explain in August for the Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry officials who have confirmed their full understanding of the circumstances surrounding the subject.