Kuala Lumpur: Pope Benedict XVI has appointed the first papal ambassador to Muslim-majority Malaysia, 18 months after the two sides established diplomatic relations, Prime Minister Najib Razak said on Friday.
The move comes amid continued tensions between Christians and Muslims in the Southeast Asian nation. “I am delighted by the appointment of Archbishop Joseph Marino as the first Apostolic Nuncio to Malaysia,” Najib said in a statement.
“Having established diplomatic ties in 2011, Pope Benedict XVI and I vowed to work together to increase understanding between Christians and Muslims.
The appointment is a testament to this commitment.” The American archbishop will also serve as an envoy to Malaysia’s smaller neighbours East Timor and Brunei, according to a report on the website of the Vatican Insider.
The Vatican and Malaysia established official diplomatic ties after Najib visited the Holy See in July 2011.
The visit came after he met with Malaysian church leaders in a bid to ease religious tensions stirred by a report that alleged Christians wanted to replace Islam as the official religion in the country.
The row is one of a string of religious disputes in recent years that have raised fears among minorities of a growing “Islamisation” of Malaysia. (PTI)
