CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy (CNS) After a meeting between Pope Benedict XVI and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, the Vatican and Malaysia reached an agreement to establish diplomatic relations for the first time. The agreement appeared to signal an effort by the Malaysian government to improve ties with the country’s Christian minority, which in recent years has warned of Islamisation in the Southeast Asian nation.
The July 18 meeting between Razak and the Pope took place at the papal residence outside of Rome, where the Prime Minister later met separately with the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, and other top Vatican diplomatic officials.
A Vatican statement announcing the agreement to establish diplomatic relations noted the "cordial" tone of the talks and the "positive developments in bilateral relations".
"In addition, the political and social situation in the world and on the Asian continent was reviewed, with particular reference to the importance of intercultural and interreligious dialogue for the promotion of peace, justice and greater understanding between peoples," the Vatican statement said.
Islam, practiced by about 60 per cent of Malaysians, is the state religion in the country. Christians represent about 9 per cent of the population, including nearly 1 million Catholics.
In 2010, tensions increased between the Muslim and Christian populations after a Malaysian court ruled that a national Catholic newspaper could use the word "Allah" to refer to God and that a Home Ministry order banning certain uses of the word was illegal. The court also said the word "Allah" is not exclusive to Islam.
In reaction to the court decision, extremists carried out reprisals against Catholic and other Christian churches, including firebombings and acts of vandalism.
Malaysian Catholic bishops held a series of meetings with Malaysian civil authorities to help restore calm in the country.