As the U.S.-Israel war with Iran rocks the Gulf nation of Kuwait, local Catholic Church leaders are responding with pastoral support for their flocks, emphasizing the need for prayer and stability.
In a March 14 interview with AsiaNews, Father Sliman Hifawi said that the crisis is no longer distant but is felt in daily life across the country.
“We are experiencing it with a strong sense of uncertainty,” Fr. Hifawi said, “but also with great human dignity. Ordinary people sense that this is not a distant crisis, but something that affects their daily lives.”
He said the uncertainty is especially felt among families following missile and drone attacks across the region. As Zeale News previously reported, the war has escalated across the Gulf region, including in Kuwait, which is about 400 miles from Iran.
“Life is a mixture of caution, fear, and prayer,” Fr. Hifawi said. As the situation has escalated rapidly in recent weeks, it has brought what he described as growing "psychological intensity.”
“In Kuwait,” he continued, “there have been attacks and moments of real alarm, and the authorities have significantly strengthened defence and civil protection measures.”
He also pointed to ongoing coordination between Catholic leaders and government authorities, noting that they have recognized the Church’s support during the crisis.
“[Authorities] appreciate the Church's role in maintaining a climate of calm and responsibility,” Fr. Sliman stated. “In times of crisis, the Church is also called to serve the common good, encouraging prudence, avoiding alarmism, and offering spiritual support to people.”
He added that despite the risk of division posed by the conflict, many are striving to preserve unity within the country.
Many are refusing to “allow themselves to be dragged down by hatred” and area instead fostering a spirit of “coexistence and mutual respect,” he said. “It is a challenge, but also a sign of civil and religious maturity.”
Fr. Sliman also pointed to the overlap of Lent and Ramadan as a moment that can foster solidarity between Christian and Muslim communities. Even the most “trying times,” he said, “can become a lesson in brotherhood.”
In fact, “precisely because of this event,” Fr. Sliman said in reference to the war, “we understand even more that Christian hope is not superficial, but is also born in trying times.”