As violence escalates across the Middle East, Eugene Nugent, the Apostolic Nuncio to Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar, has described a region shaken by fear yet united in prayer.
Speaking to Vatican News, Archbishop Nugent said the local Church is urging the faithful to pray and fast for peace as Iranian strikes hit parts of the Arabian Peninsula territories long considered bastions of stability and interreligious coexistence.
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Since Saturday, February 28, five people all foreign nationals have been killed in the Gulf: one in Kuwait, three in the United Arab Emirates, and one in Bahrain. On Monday, March 2, fresh explosions were reported in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, and Manama. In Kuwait, thick smoke was seen rising from the US embassy compound following a drone attack.
“The situation is dramatic”
Based in Kuwait City, Archbishop Nugent described sleepless nights punctuated by explosions and sirens.
“We hardly slept at all,” he said, recounting a series of blasts that began around 2:00 a.m. He confirmed that a drone struck the US embassy in Kuwait, causing damage and a fire inside the compound, though no fatalities were reported.
He also noted reports that two American military aircraft were shot down near the Ali Al Salem air base a facility he knows well, as he regularly celebrates Mass there. An Italian military contingent is stationed nearby.
While the nunciature in the Shaab district has not suffered damage, the archbishop acknowledged that the situation is deeply unsettling. Military bases, airports, and infrastructure sites including Terminal 1 of Kuwait International Airport have been primary targets.
Shock in a region known for dialogue
The war’s outbreak on February 28 stunned many in the Gulf, particularly in states that have long promoted dialogue, coexistence, and religious tolerance.
“We had hoped that negotiations would bear fruit,” Archbishop Nugent said, expressing surprise at the sudden escalation.
He highlighted the strong reception locally to Pope Francis’ Sunday Angelus appeal for peace and renewed dialogue. A similar message from Bishop Aldo Berardi, Apostolic Vicar of Northern Arabia, calling for solidarity and prayer, was also widely shared and welcomed.
Despite the intensifying hostilities, the Church remains in close contact with civil authorities and diplomatic representatives, urging all sides to exhaust every possible avenue to bring the conflict to an end.
“A long war benefits no one,” the archbishop stressed, warning that the region has already endured more than its share of conflict.
Diplomacy as the only path forward
With missiles and drones dominating headlines, Archbishop Nugent insisted that diplomacy must not be abandoned.
He expressed cautious hope that statements by Donald Trump indicating possible talks with Iran’s new leadership could reopen channels of negotiation.
However, he acknowledged the complexity of Iran’s internal political dynamics, describing them as multifaceted and difficult to interpret from the outside. “We must try dialogue at every level,” he said firmly. “Diplomacy is the only way to put an end to this war.”
A prophetic warning
Reflecting on remarks made in Bahrain in 2022, Pope Francis once described war as “a dramatically childish scenario,” lamenting that in “the garden of humanity, instead of tending the whole, we play with fire with missiles and bombs.”
Today, those words resonate with renewed urgency.
“They seem prophetic,” Archbishop Nugent observed. “For centuries, humanity has engaged in conflicts, but ultimately we must seek fraternity and rediscover what unites us.”
Just days before the current escalation, the Church in Kuwait marked the fourth anniversary of the war in Ukraine with a special Mass. Within days, war had reached their own region.
Prayer, fasting, and hope
The convergence of Lent and Ramadan has created a unique spiritual moment. Christians and Muslims alike are engaged in fasting and prayer a powerful sign of shared longing for peace.
At the nunciature in Kuwait, Mass is celebrated every morning at 7:30 a.m., while the Rosary for peace is prayed each evening at 5:00 p.m. Online prayer groups have also been established to sustain the faithful during the crisis.
Archbishop Nugent emphasized devotion to Our Lady of Arabia, venerated deeply by local Catholics and respected by Muslims as Maryam, who is mentioned repeatedly in the Qur’an.
“In this dramatic moment, we pray very much to the Virgin, Queen of Peace,” he said. “It is through her intercession that the war will come to an end.”
As missiles shake cities once known for calm and coexistence, the Church’s message remains consistent: dialogue over destruction, fraternity over fear, and prayer over despair.
