The Vatican has quietly approved a request from Muslim scholars for a small prayer room within its world-famous Apostolic Library.
The decision, revealed in an Italian newspaper interview, has sparked mixed reactions online, with some praising interfaith respect and others accusing the Church of compromising its identity.
The Vice Prefect of the Vatican Library, Father Giacomo Cardinali, confirmed that Muslim researchers visiting the ancient institution are now being provided with a prayer space.
Speaking to La Repubblica, he said: “Some Muslim scholars asked us for a room with a prayer rug, and we gave it to them.”
The prayer room, described as modest and simple, contains a prayer rug positioned towards Makkah.
It is not an elaborate structure, but a small, quiet space where visiting academics can perform their daily prayers while conducting research at the library.
Father Cardinali explained that the library serves scholars from around the world and represents a meeting point of cultures and faiths.
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“We are a universal library,” he said. “We hold Arabic, Jewish, Ethiopian, and Chinese works, as well as incredibly old Qurans.”
The library, formally established in 1475 by Pope Sixtus IV, is considered one of the oldest and most respected in the world.
Often regarded as the intellectual heart of the Catholic Church, it contains centuries of theological, scientific, and philosophical writings.
World renown
Today, the Vatican Library houses around 80,000 manuscripts, 50,000 archival items, nearly two million printed books, and more than 100,000 engravings, prints, coins, and medals.
Its vast collection reflects the Church’s long engagement with global knowledge and culture.
The library’s openness to all scholars, regardless of faith, has been central to its mission. It welcomes thousands of researchers annually, accommodating everything from ergonomic desks to preservation tools.
The introduction of a prayer room is seen by some as a natural extension of that hospitality.
While many have praised the Vatican’s gesture as a sign of respect and interfaith understanding, others have expressed unease.
Critics argue that providing a Muslim prayer space within the Vatican City could be seen as diluting the Church’s identity.
