Roman Catholic Vicariate Apostolic of Southern Arabia

The Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia (Latin: apostolicus Vicariatus Arabiae ) is a Roman Catholic Apostolic Vicariate with its headquarters in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates ( UAE) and comprises the Arab States Yemen, Oman and UAE.

History

Forerunner of today's Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia is the January 21, 1875 by Pius IX. Founded out of the Apostolic Vicariate of Galla of Abyssinia Apostolic Prefecture in Yemen. It included the whole Arabian Peninsula as well as Somaliland and was left to the Capuchins as a mission field. But the prefecture in 1859 was dissolved. On 4 May 1888 by Pope Leo XIII. the territory once again removed from the Apostolic Vicariate of Galla and founded the Apostolic Vicariate of Aden. The company name of the Vicariate changed on June 28, 1889 in Apostolic Vicariate of Arabia. On June 29, 1953, the area around Kuwait was separated by 17.9 thousand km ² and built Kuwait the independent prefecture Apostolic. 1973, the Episcopal seat of Aden was moved to Abu Dhabi. Pope Benedict XVI. founded on 31 May 2011 by renaming the current Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia. At the same time, the areas around Bahrain, Qatar and Saudi Arabia have been added to the Vicariate Apostolic of Kuwait, which was renamed the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia.

The Capuchins transferred Vicariate included with its size of 3,143,669 km ² the Arabian Peninsula (excluding Kuwait). Between 1950 and 2010 the number of Catholics living in it about 6,000 to about 2,000,000 grew, with the enormous number of Catholic guest workers in these countries helped. The 23 parishes of the Vicariate are now supported by nine diocesan priests and 56 religious priests. At the same time there are also 62 religious sisters.

Today

On the territory of the Episcopal Vicariate of Arabia -South live about 2.5 million Catholics. They represent more than 90 countries, mainly from the Philippines, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan, including all Eastern rites churches in Arabia, for example, Maronites in Lebanon or the Syro - Malabar and Syro- Karen from India.

When conducting Christian pastors only in Muslim countries ( the working conditions of foreign employees eg concerning ) are Paul Hinder regarding social criticism largely bound hands under the threat of expulsion.

The present situation of Christians in many Arab states, especially Saudi Arabia, is bad. There it is forbidden to today, to build churches and to prevent non-Muslim religious services (see under: Persecution of Christians ). In the United Arab Emirates, Emir of Dubai gave the Catholic Church a plot of land for construction of the Church of St. Anthony, which was inaugurated in 2013.

In the UAE, there are 7, 4 in Oman and Yemen 4 parishes.

Parishes

From a total of 23 parishes (as of 2010 ) are represented:

In Oman, there are four parishes:

  • St. Anthony 's Catholic Church in Sohar under the direction of Joseph K. Johnson, OFM Cap ( b. 1963 )
  • St. Peter & Paul Church, Ruwi, headed by Raul Ramos, OFM Cap
  • The Holy Spirit Church in Ghala under the direction of Albert D' Silva, OFM Cap
  • The St. Francis Xavier Church in Salalah

In the UAE, there are seven parishes:

  • The St. Joseph 's Cathedral in Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi under the direction of Savarimuthu OFM Cap ( b. 1963 )
  • The St. Mary 's Catholic Church in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi under the direction of Anthony PA
  • The St. Mary 's Catholic Church in Dubai, Dubai under the leadership of Tomasito OFM Cap
  • St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Jebel Ali, Dubai under the leadership of Eugene Mattioli OFM Cap ( born 1931 )
  • The Mother of Perpetual Help Church in Fujairah ( Fujairah, Kalba, Dibba, Khor Fakkan )
  • St. Michael 's Church in Sharjah under the direction of Ani Xavier, OFM Cap
  • St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Ra's al -Khaimah

In Yemen, there are four parishes:

  • The St. Francis Church in Aden
  • The Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in al - Hudaydah
  • Mary Help of Christians Church in Sanaa
  • St. Theresa of the Child Jesus Church in Taiz

Apostolic vicars

Statistics

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