Vatican City: Reports claiming that a special prayer room has been opened for Muslims in the Vatican Library have caused widespread confusion. Mar Andrews Thazhath, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India and Archbishop of Thrissur, clarified the situation.

The room has been temporarily provided for Muslim scholars visiting the Vatican for research and study. It is not a permanent facility, and the Vatican has not officially recognized it as a dedicated Muslim prayer room. The space is a public area where anyone can pray, and no formal announcement has been made regarding a specific prayer room for Muslims.

The Vatican Library, home to around 80,000 manuscripts, is one of the world’s rarest collections. It contains hundreds of thousands of books, including centuries-old manuscripts, representing Christian, Islamic, Jewish, Arabic, and Ethiopian heritage. Ancient copies of the Quran and the Bible are also preserved here.

Mar Thazhath emphasized that many people had misinterpreted the news. The temporary arrangement is solely to accommodate visiting scholars and does not indicate the creation of a permanent or officially recognized Muslim prayer facility in the Vatican.

This clarification highlights the Vatican’s efforts to provide practical support to international scholars while ensuring that the public receives accurate information, preventing misunderstandings and misinformation in the media.