KUWAIT, Jan 16 (KUNA) -- Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin led a Solemn Pontifical Mass celebrating Minor Basilica Status of Our Lady of Arabia in Al-Ahmadi City on Friday, making the church the first to bear such title in the Arabian Gulf region.
The ceremony gathered a large number of officials, notably Assistant Foreign Minister for Europe Affairs Sadeq Marafi, Vatican Ambassador to Kuwait Eugene Martin Nugent, Director of Public Relations Division at Kuwait Oil Company Mohammad Al-Busairi and head of KOC public relations team Yousuf Al-Kandari.
The church, founded by KOC in 1948, got the pontifical title of Minor Basilica Status due to its spiritual, historical and architectural significance in the Gulf region, according to a KOC statement. (end) km.rg.gb