Vatican City, Jul 18, 2011 / 12:08 pm
The Vatican cemented a diplomatic relationship with Malaysia on Monday, as Christians within the majority Muslim country help push for governmental reform and call for recognition.
On July 18, Pope Benedict met with Prime Minister Najib Bin Abdul Razak in the second-ever meeting between a Pope and a Malaysian head of state.
At Pope Benedict's summer residence in Castel Gandalfo, the two discussed the political and social climate in Asia and the importance of promoting inter-religious dialogue. They also reached an agreement on establishing a formal relationship between the Vatican and Malaysia, which was one of fewer than 20 countries that do not have official ties with the Holy See.
While Malaysian Christians have played a role in recent demonstrations calling for electoral reform, they also have concerns about persecution and religious discrimination. Catholics and other Christians account for only 10 percent of the country's population of 28 million. Additionally, Islam is both the state religion and the faith with the largest number of adherents in the country.