Holy See–Saudi Arabia relations
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 Saudi Arabia |
 Vatican City |
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Holy See–Saudi Arabia relations do not officially exist but there have been some important high-level meetings between Saudi and Holy See officials to discuss issues and organize dialogue between religions.
In November 2007, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia visited the Vatican in a historic moment, which signaled an end to the 1,400-year-old chill in relations between the Arab state and its predecessor states' leaders and Vatican leaders.[1]
Proposals have been made to build a church somewhere in Saudi Arabia, citing the ancient 7th century Najran Pact made by Muhammad to Christian residents of Arabia.[citation needed].
There are many foreign workers that identify as Christian, and at present, they must cross a border to a surrounding country to find a church affiliated to the Roman Catholic church. Discussions have until now focused on the fair treatment of those foreign workers. This issue was given high priority in Pope Benedict XVI's address to the diplomatic corps in January 2011, where the Pope expressed the hope for a speedy establishment of a Catholic hierarchy within the kingdom.[2]
Country comparison[]
| Official name |  Vatican City State |
 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
|
|---|---|---|
| Native Name | Status Civitatis Vaticanae (Latin) Stato della Città del Vaticano (Italian) |
المملكة العربية السعودية (Arabic) Al-Mamlakah Al-ʾĀrabīyah As-Suʿūdīyah (Romanization) |
| Coat of Arms | 
|
|
| Flag | 
|
|
| National Anthem | Pontifical Anthem and March | Royal March |
| Population | 1,000 | 33,000,000 |
| Area | 0.44 km2 (0.17 sq mi) | 2,149,690 km2 (830,000 sq mi) |
| Population Density | 2,272/km2 (5,880/sq mi) | 15/km2 (39/sq mi) |
| Time zones | 1 (Central European Time) | 1 (Arabia Standard Time) |
| Capital | Vatican City (City-state) | Riyadh |
| Established | 11 February 1929 | 23 September 1932 |
| Government | Ecclesiastical elective Theocracy, absolute monarchy | Unitary Islamic absolute monarchy |
| State Religion | Roman Catholicism | Sunni Islam |
| First Leader | Pius XI | Abdulaziz Ibn Saud |
| Current Leader | Sovereign: Francis | King: Salman |
| Current Deputy | Secretary of State: Pietro Parolin | Crown Prince: Mohammad |
| Official language(s) | Latin, Italian | Arabic |
References[]
- ^ "Historic Saudi visit to Vatican". BBC News. 6 November 2007. Archived from the original on 7 September 2014.
- ^ "Address of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI to the Members of the Diplomatic Corps". Vatican.va. 10 January 2011. Archived from the original on 9 August 2014. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
See also[]
- Bilateral relations of the Holy See
- Bilateral relations of Saudi Arabia
- Catholicism and Islam
- Catholic Church in Saudi Arabia