Vatican City – “I receive my appointment as Apostolic Nuncio to the Czech Republic on the day we celebrate the feast of Mary, Mother of the Church, to whom I entrust this new mission, this new stage in my life,” says Bishop Eugene Nugent, reached by telephone by Fides News Agency, “and I thank Pope Leo XIV for the trust placed in me. The Czech Republic is a country with a great history, a history of saints and martyrs as well as of difficult times.”
“I am leaving the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia, where I arrived in February 2021, with a heartfelt gratitude to my great fraternal friend Aldo Berardi, O.SS.T., Apostolic Vicar of Northern Arabia, which includes Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, who has stood by me in all my initiatives. “I thank all the local, civil and governmental authorities of Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar for everything they have done over the years to facilitate my mission,” the prelate continues. “It has been very constructive and rewarding to work in a spirit of full collaboration, including at the ecumenical level, with the leaders of the Christian churches, with whom I have built bridges of friendship. I have sought to engage in dialogue with our dear Muslim brothers and sisters, particularly in Qatar with the Doha Institute for Religious Dialogue and in Bahrain with the King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful Coexistence.”
Archbishop Nugent also remembered and thanked His Highness Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Emir of Kuwait, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of Bahrain, and Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of Qatar, for their guidance and full support throughout this period.
Upon his arrival in Kuwait in February 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Archbishop Nugent worked to strengthen relations with the three Gulf countries entrusted to his care, while also promoting ecumenical and interreligious dialogue. Much of his pastoral outreach during those difficult years focused on supporting the Catholic communities of Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar, composed predominantly of migrant workers from South-East Asia and the Middle East, many of whom were deeply affected by the social and economic consequences of the pandemic. Following the death of the then Apostolic Vicar, the Comboni Missionary Bishop Camillo Ballin, when the Apostolic Vicariate remained without a bishop for a period, Archbishop Nugent worked closely with Bishop Paul Hinder, OFMCap, Apostolic Administrator based in the United Arab Emirates, together with the local clergy and religious, to ensure continuity in pastoral care and ecclesial life throughout the Vicariate. “Being on my own gave me the opportunity to get to know the parishes, the clergy, the faithful and the different rites, and to gain some insight into this wonderful reality of the Church in the Gulf,” he tells Fides. “Together with the priests, religious sisters and the faithful of all rites, who helped me to understand and appreciate the life of this Church, its vitality and the way in which they live their faith in a context that is not always easy, I have received a great lesson in joy, simplicity, humility and faith in the Lord.”
“Among the most intense moments I have experienced in recent years, Pope Francis’ visit in 2022 perhaps represents the culmination of my work here, a great moment for the Church in Bahrain, but also throughout the Gulf for the promotion of brotherhood, peace and harmony among peoples. Time has truly flown by,” concludes Nugent. “Among this year’s events, I would like to recall the visit of the Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, on the occasion of the elevation to a Minor Basilica of the Church of Our Lady of Arabia in Ahmadi, one of the oldest churches in the Gulf, known as the ‘Mother Church'” .
During the present conflict in the Middle East, Archbishop Nugent has worked closely with Bishop Berardi, O.SS.T., together with members of the Diplomatic Corps and State authorities, in offering pastoral support and assistance to Catholic communities and families experiencing hardship and distress.
Archbishop Nugent, aged 67 and originally from Scariff, County Clare, in the Diocese of Killaloe, Ireland, has spent the past five years serving the Gulf region and will shortly take up his new assignment in Prague.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.