The Vatican Apostolic Library has opened a special prayer room for Muslim researchers — a landmark gesture underscoring its deepening commitment to inclusivity and interfaith respect within one of the world’s most prestigious centers of knowledge.
Library officials said the decision followed requests from visiting Muslim scholars who needed a quiet space for their daily prayers. Vice Prefect Giacomo Cardinali told La Repubblica that the request was “simple and natural,” adding that the library’s mission is to welcome scholars of all faiths and nationalities. “Our mission is to make knowledge accessible without barriers,” he said.
Founded in 1451 by Pope Nicholas V, the Vatican Library has long served as the Catholic Church’s intellectual heart, yet its archives span far beyond Christian theology. Its vast collection includes Islamic manuscripts, Hebrew texts, and works in Arabic, Ethiopian, and Chinese — all reflecting a deep appreciation for global heritage.
Among its most remarkable artifacts is a medieval Japanese archive, believed to be the oldest outside Japan. The documents were rescued in the 1920s by Catholic missionary Mario Marega, who discovered children using the ancient papers as toys and saved them from destruction years before World War II.
Cardinali noted that such diversity embodies the library’s founding vision — that knowledge belongs to all humanity. “The Vatican Library was never just about religion; it’s about understanding civilization itself,” he said.
He further revealed that the institution is expanding its digital catalog with the aid of artificial intelligence, though he cautioned that “AI lacks the historical intuition of human scholars.” Despite technological progress, Cardinali emphasized that preserving and interpreting history “must remain a human endeavor.”
He concluded that the opening of the prayer room marks another step toward making the Vatican Library “a house for every seeker of knowledge, regardless of faith or background.”
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