Czech Ambassador: The region is experiencing a fragile ceasefire... and we must uphold the values of peace and mercy

Osama Diab: The Czech Ambassador to Kuwait, Juraj Chmiel, affirmed that the region is currently experiencing a “very fragile ceasefire” following repeated Iranian airstrikes over several months, emphasizing the importance of upholding the values of peace, mercy, and solidarity amid the armed conflicts witnessed worldwide.

This statement came during a speech delivered by Chmiel at an event held to mark “Czech State Day” and commemorate Saint Wenceslaus, the patron saint of the Czech Republic. The event coincided with the farewell of the Papal Nuncio to Kuwait, Archbishop Eugene Martin Martin Nugent, who has concluded his mission in the country and is preparing to assume his new post in the Czech Republic. The ceremony was attended by several ambassadors and diplomats accredited to Kuwait.

Chmiel noted that Saint Wenceslaus, whose feast day is celebrated annually on September 28, was a duke who was killed by his brother Boleslaus in 935 while on his way to morning Mass, before being declared a saint a few years after his death. He explained that Wenceslaus was known for his piety, virtue, and scholarship. He worked to spread the Christian faith and showed particular concern for the poor, the sick, widows, and orphans, embodying through his actions the values of mercy, generosity, and service to others.

Regarding the decision to hold the celebration in August instead of September, on the saint’s feast day, Chmiel clarified that he deliberately scheduled the occasion to coincide with the presence of the Papal Nuncio in Kuwait, before Nugent begins his new duties as Papal Nuncio to the Czech Republic on September 28. Expressing mixed feelings about Nugent’s departure from Kuwait, Chmiel said he felt sad to see him leave, but was simultaneously happy that his country would welcome “a diplomat and a distinguished figure of his caliber.”

During his speech at the Mass held at the Our Lady of the Island Church, Papal Nuncio Archbishop Eugene Martin Nugent expressed his deep emotion at the fact that this celebration marked his last Mass in Kuwait before leaving the country, noting that the church had become a place dear to his heart during his years of residence.

Nugent stated that he was leaving Kuwait filled with gratitude for the years he spent there, for the people he met and the friendships he built, for the faith he shared with members of the community and parish, as well as for the hospitality he received. He spoke about his experience in Kuwait, affirming that it was among the most beautiful experiences of the Church, pointing out that its members come from various countries, languages, cultures, and traditions, yet find themselves here as “one family.” He considered this one of the most beautiful lessons he learned during his mission in the country, which reinforced his appreciation for the universality of the Church and the unity of faith despite differences in cultures, languages, and rituals.

He noted that moving from one mission to another always involves an element of the unknown, and said he was now preparing to begin a new chapter in the Czech Republic, the land of Saint Wenceslaus, expressing his hope that his future journey would be filled with faith and trust.