Officially there are zero native Catholics in Afghanistan, though a single chapel was established in Kabul in 1933 at the Italian embassy.
This chapel serves Catholic foreigners who reside in Kabul, while also being a strong spiritual presence in the country, praying for continued peace.
In 2017, Fr. Giovanni Scalese, the chaplain stationed at the Our Lady of Divine Providence Chapel in Kabul, hosted a consecration ceremony in which he placed the entire country of Afghanistan under the protection of Our Lady of Fatima and her Immaculate Heart.
According to AsiaNews, he did so because, "it could be said that the situation has gradually deteriorated. So here's the idea of turning to Heaven as the last resort. This year is the centenary of Fatima, today is the anniversary of the last apparition: why not devote ourselves (as individuals and as a Christian community) and consecrate this country to the Immaculate Heart of Mary?"
Furthermore, he truly believed that because all military interventions have failed in Afghanistan that prayer was the last resort to turn the tide.
In her apparitions at Fatima, Our Lady explained to the children how acts of consecration can bring peace.
Above all, Our Lady of Fatima urged everyone to pray the Rosary and promised that her Immaculate Heart would triumph in the end.
