The Only Catholic Church in Afghanistan

Italian Embassy Afghanistan ^

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The possibility to host a Catholic Chaplain within the Italian “legation” was provided by “The Agreement between Italy and Afghanistan to exchange permanent diplomatic missions” in 1921. King “Amanullah”, grateful to Italy for being the first western country to recognize formally the independence of Afghanistan, showed himself sensitive to the demand of the Catholics that were then present in the country and were asking for the spiritual assistance of a priest. Since the Arab conquest of Persia and Central Asia in the seventh century A.D. , it was the first time that a Muslim government authorized the official establishment of a Catholic presence in Afghanistan, although prohibiting proselytism.

For this delicate task, Pope Pius XI chose the Barnabite Father Egidio Caspani, a historian and a language scholar. After a month long adventurous journey, he arrived in Kabul on Christmas afternoon in 1932 being able to finally celebrate the first Mass on January 1st, 1933. The present chapel was built in 1960: works officially started on 15 August, during the mandate of the Ambassador Folco Trabalza; the inauguration was held on the following 18 December, with the participation of Archbishop Vittore Ugo Righi, Apostolic Nuncio in Teheran.

None of the various regimes or political-military upheavals that characterized the Afghan History (the monarchy in its diverse aspects, the republic established by Daoud, the communist regime, the soviet invasion, the Mujahideen’s reconquest, the civil war, the Islamic Emirate of the Taliban) has ever led to the expulsion of the Catholic Mission, which, furthermore, was praised by the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs for its constant and tenacious presence during those difficult years.

In 2002, Pope John Paul II established the Independent Mission of Afghanistan (Missio sui iuris Afghanistaniensis), naming the chaplain of the Italian Embassy as Ecclesiastical Superior of the Mission with the function of local Ordinary for Catholics temporarily residing in the country.

The missionaries of Kabul were Father Caspani (1933-1947), Father Giovanni Bernasconi (1947-1957), Father Raffaele Nannetti (1957-1965), Father Angelo Panigati (1965-1990) and Father Guiseppe Moretti (1990-2015).

Currently, the Mission is led by Father Giovanni Scalese.

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From the history of Christianity/history of Catholic Church in Afghanistan section on wikipedia:

Earlier Christians in Afghanistan were members of the historical Church of the East or the Armenian Oriental Orthodox Church, and there had been no sustained Catholic presence in Afghanistan until the 20th Century. From starting in 1921, the Italian embassy in Kabul was allowed to build the first and only legal Catholic chapel to serve foreigners working in the capital, but not open to local nationals. On 16 May 2002, Pope John Paul II established a mission sui iuris for Afghanistan with Fr. Giuseppe Moretti as its first superior, presently Fr. Giovanni M. Scalese (both Italian Barnabites). In 2004, the Missionaries of Charity arrived in Kabul to carry out humanitarian work.

Early Christianity

Legend from the apocryphal Gospel of Thomas and other ancient documents suggests that Saint Thomas the Apostle preached in Bactria, which is today northern Afghanistan. The Nestorians planted Christianity in the area, and there have been nine bishops and dioceses in the region, including Herat (424-1310), Farah (544-1057), Kandahar, and Balkh. This early establishment of Christianity was overcome by Muslim invasions in the 7th century, though the territory was not substantially controlled by Muslims until the 9th and 10th centuries. In 1581 and 1582 respectively, the Jesuits Montesserat of Spain and Bento de Góis of Portugal were warmly welcomed by the Islamic Emperor Akbar, but there was no lasting Jesuit presence in the country.

20th century

Italy was the first country to recognise Afghanistan's independence in 1919, and the Afghan government asked how it could thank Italy. Rome requested the right to build a chapel, which was being requested by international technicians then living in the Afghan capital...

Soviet invasion period and Taliban insurgency

Pope John Paul II called for a "just solution" to the Soviet–Afghan war in the 1980s. Fr. Giuseppe Moretti first came to Afghanistan in 1977, and stayed until he was shot when the Italian embassy was attacked in 1994 and was forced to leave the country. From 1990 to 1994 he was the only Catholic priest in the country. After 1994, only the Little Sisters of Jesus were allowed to remain in Afghanistan, as they had been there since 1955 and their work was well known...

Post-Taliban

With the fall of the Taliban, Pope John Paul II requested that Fr. Moretti return to Afghanistan. The first Mass in 9 years was celebrated on January 27, 2002, for members of the International Security Force and various members of foreign agencies. On May 16, 2002, a mission sui iuris was created for all of Afghanistan. There is only one functioning chapel in the country, in the Italian Embassy in Kabul. Projects of the new mission include a "Peace School" for 500 students that began construction in August 2003 and will be to "European standards". Three religious sisters also work with those who have mental disabilities in the capital city, teaching those with cerebral palsy how to go to the toilet and how to eat on their own. The small community went through a period of crisis during the kidnapping on May 17, 2005, of Clementina Cantoni, a member of CARE International, by four gunmen in Kabul as she walked to her car. Sisters from the Missionaries of Charity had their house blessed on May 9, 2006, and have already started taking in street children. There had been fears that their distinctive blue and white habit would make them stand out and be harassed by Muslims, but their institute is generally respected. Jesuit Relief Services has also applied to join the growing number of religious institutes in the country.[18] Jesuit Refugee Services has recently opened a technical school in Herat for 500 students including 120 girls.

There have been efforts made to start inter-religious dialogue, with the Islamist head of the Afghan Supreme Court. Mullah Fazul Shinwari attended the inauguration of the mission and expressed a desire to meet with the Pope.

The Catholic community in Afghanistan is mainly made of foreigners, especially aid workers, and no Afghans are known to be currently part of the Church, mainly due to great social and legal pressure not to convert to non-Islamic religions. Some Afghans have converted while overseas, but they keep it secret when they return....

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cool history!

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