Migration, Evangelism, and a Basilica

Rome was conquered by Christianity through love and the blood of martyrs. Perhaps Arabia and the Middle East will be reconverted by Christianity through love and migrant workers. It was the example of Christians loving one another and loving those abandoned by the pagans that won over the Romans. The very power that crucified Christ and persecuted the early Christians became the seat of power in the Church. This shocking yet fitting turn of events is a blueprint for global evangelism.

Recently on January 16, according to Vatican News, the Holy See Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, presided at Mass to celebrate the elevation of Our Lady of Arabia, Kuwait’s first church, to the status of Minor Basilica. The title of minor Basilica “is conferred on churches that hold special liturgical or pastoral importance, and that stand out for their historical, spiritual, or architectural value.”

Migrants Start a Church

In 1948, a small group of foreign Catholic oil workers founded a small chapel in Kuwait. This became Our Lady of Arabia Church. The title “Our Lady of Arabia” comes from a devotion to an image of Mary and Jesus dating back to 1919. An updated carving and image were authorized by Pope Pius II in 1949. In 1956 the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of Our Lady of Arabia was proclaimed as Patroness of Kuwait. Construction on the present-day Cathedral began in 2013 when King Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al-Khalifa donated land for the cathedral. It was inaugurated on in 2021.

Today, there are more than 80,000 Catholics in Kuwait. Most are foreign oil workers. The Cathedral was not without controversy in the predominantly Muslim nation. Outspoken Muslim clerics opposed the construction of the Cathedral complex and 70 signed a petition. There was some unrest and even violence, but Kuwait is considered mostly tolerant of other religions. The Cathedral is part of the dioceses known as the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia.

The vicariate serves the peninsular Arabian countries of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, but there are no churches on Saudi territory. As of 2020, it serves a Catholic population of 2,722,000, which is approximately 6.3% of the total population. The seat of the dioceses shifted from Kuwait to Bahrain which is the most tolerant of the nations in the vicariate. The least tolerant of the nations is Saudi Arabia where all religions other than Islam are illegal. There are over a million Catholics working in Saudi Arabia, but no priests or sacraments. The laity organizes into secret groups based on language and location. According to the Catholic News Agency, Saudi Arabia was once more tolerant, but cracked down after the Iranian revolution to prove its legitimacy.

Migrants as Evangelists

Wealthy nations in the Middle East rely of foreign workers for the oil industry as well as everything from teachers to healthcare providers. Millions of these foreign migrant workers are Christians. Even in nations where they are allowed to freely worship, it is usually done so in nondescript buildings with no crosses are signs of it being a Church. Often, Churches for these foreign migrant workers are owned by the government and contained like the so called “Church City” in Qatar. In a 2022, During visit to Bahrain, Pope Francis lamented that much labor can be “dehumanizing” and encouraged the promotion of equal rights for workers. Worshippers from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and other Gulf countries packed the Bahrain national stadium for Francis’ Mass.

The massive influx of migrant workers, tourists, and business people has driven the growth of Western businesses. As economies start to open, businesses like McDonald’s quickly move in, followed by Western cultural influence. Migrant workers though have a unique relationship with their host countries. They work closely with working class everyday citizens of these countries. These working relationships enable far greater influence than tourists and visiting executives. People working hand in hand together experience each other’s values and approach to life. They learn to respect each other and open up to one another. Little by little bridges are built and evangelism can occur.

Strict Islamic laws and deeply rooted culture will severely slow and limit any evangelism, but a small low level Christian culture exists. Like soil with seed; it may someday bloom when allowed and fed. Until then, the faithful hope, pray, and persevere much like the Christians of Rome. In an interview with CNA, Bishop Aldo Berardi, who has led the diocese since 2023, sounded hopeful even about Saudi Arabia: “Social openness in the country has taken hold very quickly, although the older generation is still alive and there can be tensions. However, 60%-70% of the country is under 30 years old, and this younger generation wants change because they see what’s happening in the world and don’t understand why their country can’t be open.”

The Church Takes the Long View

The current turmoil over immigration in the United States makes visible in a free society what is hidden in restrictive societies of the Middel East. Perhaps the crisis we see today is the tipping point we need to see views and approaches come into greater balance. No matter what political direction the United States goes in the future, one cannot imagine border security being neglected. It is equally difficult to imagine that the harsh rounding-up of non-violent immigrants will continue much longer either. The Church always take the long view counting decades and centuries rather than days and years. Presidential terms and political swings are short lived. Cultural and religious changes take much longer.

Migration has been increasing year over year. “Today, more than 280 million people, or 3.6% of the world’s population, are international migrants – meaning they live outside their country of birth.” Christians are the largest proportion of migrants making up “an estimated 47% of all people living outside their country of birth,” according to Pew Research. Sustained immigration from mostly Christian nations in the Americas over a long period will make its mark over time.

The idea that immigrants can influence their adopted culture is proven throughout history. Our American cities are decorated with the fruits of past waves of immigration from once Christian Europe. Irish, German, and Italian churches often sit within blocks of each other in larger cities. Only time will tell what blessing we shall realize from this present wave of migrants both in the East and in the West.