The Vatican is holding talks with Saudi Arabia on building the first church in the kingdom, where some 1.5m Christians are not allowed to worship publicly.
Archbishop Paul-Mounged el-Hachem, one of Pope Benedict XVI's most senior Middle East representatives, said the discussions had begun a few weeks ago.
But the archbishop cautioned that the Vatican could not predict the outcome.
The discussions come in the wake of King Abdullah's historic meeting with the Pope at the Vatican last November.
A Catholic-Muslim Forum was also set up by the Pope two weeks ago to repair relations between the two faiths after the crisis caused by a speech he gave in Germany in 2006, in which he appeared to associate Islam with violence.
'Reciprocity'
The disclosure of talks between the Vatican and Saudi Arabia, which do not have diplomatic ties, came soon after the first Roman Catholic church in the Qatari capital, Doha, was opened in a service attended by 15,000 people.
Archbishop Hachem, the Apostolic Nuncio to Kuwait, Qatar, Yemen, Bahrain and the UAE, who attended the inauguration, said he hoped there would soon be a similar church for the many Christians in neighbouring Saudi Arabia.
If we manage to obtain authorisation for the construction of the first church, it will be an outcome of historic dimensions Father Federico Lombardi
Spokesman for Pope Benedict
"Discussions are under way to allow the construction of churches in the kingdom," he said.
Although he made clear the outcome was uncertain, the archbishop added that a church in Saudi Arabia would be an important sign of "reciprocity" between Muslims and Christians.
The Vatican has noted that Muslims are free to worship openly in Europe and demands religious freedom as a condition for the opening of diplomatic relations.
About a million Catholics, many of them migrant workers from the Philippines, live in Saudi Arabia.
They are allowed to worship in private, mostly in people's homes, but worship in public places and outward signs of faith, such as crucifixes, are forbidden.
The last Christian priest was expelled from the kingdom in 1985.
Christians complain that rules are not clear and that the Saudi religious authorities, who enforce the kingdom's conservative brand of Islam, *******sm, sometimes crack down on legitimate congregations.
The authorities cite a tradition of the Prophet Muhammad that only Islam can be practised in the Arabian Peninsula.
A spokesman for Pope Benedict, Father Federico Lombardi, said: "If we manage to obtain authorisation for the construction of the first church, it will be an outcome of historic dimensions."
I have no problem with them building a church. It's a little odd at first, given that suadi is known for being a muslim country (albeit a weird one) but it's absolutely fine by me.
Build a church, build a synagoge, build a tree - it's all good for the sake of humanity.
Someone said to the Prophet, "Pray to God against the idolaters and curse them." The Prophet replied, "I have been sent to show mercy and have not been sent to curse." (Muslim)
For me, it's a difficult one really. In a true Islamic state (which I admit, Saudi is not), practise of religions other than Islam is not to be done openly.
One might argue that Muslims are allowed to worship openly in Europe. My response to this would be that European countries do claim to offer this freedom in the first place, whereas Islam has never done.
It's difficult because I find it is hard to get some Non-Muslims to understand why this is not hypocritical at all.
"I spent thirty years learning manners, and I spent twenty years learning knowledge."
For me, it's a difficult one really. In a true Islamic state (which I admit, Saudi is not), practise of religions other than Islam is not to be done openly.
What you mean by practising "not openly"? In homes. I thought that building churches is possible in "true" islamic state.
One might argue that Muslims are allowed to worship openly in Europe. My response to this would be that European countries do claim to offer this freedom in the first place, whereas Islam has never done.
It's difficult because I find it is hard to get some Non-Muslims to understand why this is not hypocritical at all.
Maybe its not hipocritical but not fair for sure.
This country is dying because of a lack of men, not a lack of programs.
To me, it would seem if there is going to be any kind of "coming together" between Christianity and Islam, a Christian should have the right to worship openly in an Islamic country, as Muslims are free to do in the West.
However, I do understand the difference between the "West" and a Christian country. A nation based on Christian theology doesn't exist, if it did it would probably be against the law to practice Islam openly as well. So perhaps it only makes sense that a country that professes to be an Islamic one wouldn't allow other religions to practice freely.
"Imagination was given to man to compensate him for what he is not, and a sense of humor was provided to console him for what he is."
Hmmm...that may well be true. My impression was otherwise.
What made you think that btw?
Greetings!
There were christians and churches in the time of caliphs in middle east and Turkey hundreds years ago right?
How so? Would Muslims be allowed to openly practise their religion in a country governed by Christianity?
That's a genuine question, not a leading one.
Well well thats a very hard question, as I dont know if there were any countries governed by christianity in the history.But lets say that you are right, probably muslims wouldnt be able to be there, as shows the xample of medieval Spain.
But on the other hand, sometimes muslims say that Saudi Arabia is an islamic country and sometimes that it is not. It''s confusing. Is Quatar also an islamic country? They have a church also. Egypt also, but they are secular republic i guess.
This country is dying because of a lack of men, not a lack of programs.
The Saudis are very keen to invest millons in building mosques and islamic centres in non-muslim countries, they spend enormous amounts of money to support worldwide terrorism and extremism, they've even got a human rights commision that issued a report about muslims in Europe being denied the right to worship and live by their faith freely...
So I do find their ways to be slightly hypocritical. Now, if they're trying to follow Islam that's ok.
As Osman said, Saudis and Islam never claimed to grant full religious freedom to non-muslims, so I see no reason why they should do so now. Reciprocity cannot be used as an argument in this case as far as I'm concerned.
Many things in Saudi Arabia are wrong and utterly unfair and I don't think religious rights of the majority outweigh any other rights, but this is how things are done over there, if tehy don't want to build churches, no one should force them. Saudi Christians are immigrants, they knew the rules of the country when they came there and they shouldn't try to change them. The indigenous Christian community, should it exists, didn't complain, I have some theories as to why this is, but I'll leave them for later.
I didnt know non muslims were banned from buplic worship in an islamic state, which I find wrong. I'm sure muslims find it perfectly OK and justified, I admit, it is justified, but then everything can be justified, whch doesn't make it fair and good. I guess muslims could stop bragging about how tolerant Islam is towards other religions.
Well well thats a very hard question, as I dont know if there were any countries governed by christianity in the history.But lets say that you are right, probably muslims wouldnt be able to be there, as shows the xample of medieval Spain.
But on the other hand, sometimes muslims say that Saudi Arabia is an islamic country and sometimes that it is not. It''s confusing. Is Quatar also an islamic country? They have a church also. Egypt also, but they are secular republic i guess.
Saudi is trying to be an islamic country, but it is not. The mere fact that it is a country with a flag and a national anthem makes it un-islamic, I think. And then there's loads and loads of other stuff that I'm sure has been discussed on these boards.
Lashing girls for spending a night with non-related men does not make a country an islamic one.
I guess muslims could stop bragging about how tolerant Islam is towards other religions.
Why? Tolerance doesn't mean their religion will be respected by the state in the same way Islam is. They have the right to practise in private. That is tolerance, especially when you consider that we could have forced them to denounce their religion and become Muslim.
Why? Tolerance doesn't mean their religion will be respected by the state in the same way Islam is. They have the right to practise in private. That is tolerance, especially when you consider that we could have forced them to denounce their religion and become Muslim.
Im sure that if some european said such things about islam and muslim in our continent, you would call him a rascist bigot . You dont want to give christians in Arabian Peninsula a single church and see it as ok, and when muslims are asked to build bit smaller mosque than the highest buidling in Colonia, it is called a fascism.
This country is dying because of a lack of men, not a lack of programs.
I don't recall any ruling in Islam or teaching of the Prophet [saw] that prevents non-muslims from building their place of worship in an Islamic state. Historically, churches etc were already built in those countries where Islamic rule took over.
Someone said to the Prophet, "Pray to God against the idolaters and curse them." The Prophet replied, "I have been sent to show mercy and have not been sent to curse." (Muslim)
Im sure that if some european said such things about islam and muslim in our continent, you would call him a rascist bigot . You dont want to give christians in Arabian Peninsula a single church and see it as ok, and when muslims are asked to build bit smaller mosque than the highest buidling in Colonia, it is called a fascism.
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If we manage to obtain authorisation for the construction of the first church, it will be an outcome of historic dimensions
It''s confusing. Is Quatar also an islamic country? They have a church also. Egypt also, but they are secular republic i guess.
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