(by Bishop Paolo Martinelli, Apostolic Vicar of Southern Arabia)

There are over one million Catholics in the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia

Christianity in Arabia is a very ancient reality. The current reality is very different from the past. Throughout the Arabian Peninsula there are almost three million Catholics, although having the exact number, especially after the pandemic, is very difficult. From an ecclesial point of view, since 2011 the region has been divided into two apostolic vicariates: the north (Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain) and the south (United Arab Emirates, Oman and Yemen). In this short presentation I will focus on the Apostolic Vicariate of the South, where over one million Catholic faithful live. The seat of the vicariate is Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates. Christians are all migrants, with a few very rare exceptions. Most of them come from the Philippines and India. There is no shortage of Christians from Sri Lanka, Pakistan and other Asian countries as well. The presence of Arab Christians, mostly coming from Lebanon, is also significant. A significant number of Christians come from Africa. Minor but no less significant is the presence of European and American Christians. Seventy-five priests work in the vicariate, of which 50 are Capuchin friars. There are also 50 nuns from different religious orders involved in schools and parishes.

Most Christians are found in the United Arab Emirates, an Islamic nation with a long tradition of hospitality and tolerance towards people belonging to different religions, guaranteeing them freedom of worship. The Catholic Church has nine parishes in the Emirates. The relationship with the government of the Emirates is growing, especially since the visit of Pope Francis in February 2019, during which he signed the Abu Dhabi Declaration together with the Grand Imam of Al-Ahzar, Ahmed el-Tayeb. The Apostolic Nuncio resides in Abu Dhabi.

Furthermore, the Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Common Coexistence, signed in Abu Dhabi, has given rise to interesting projects regarding interreligious dialogue. One of these was the inauguration last February of the Abrahamic Family House, whose foundation stone was also signed by Pope Francis. It is a complex that includes a mosque, a synagogue and a Catholic church, dedicated to Saint Francis of Assisi in honor of Pope Francis. This is in no way an attempt to merge the three religions which refer, albeit in different ways, to Abraham. Rather, it is a matter of recognizing and welcoming the difference between religions, aware of the decisive role they have in the peace processes and the promotion of the common good.

Our faithful are generally frequent visitors to our churches. It is a surprise for a Westerner to participate in a Eucharistic celebration and notice how our churches, especially on Saturdays and Sundays, are frequented by the faithful, to the point of not finding place inside the sacred buildings. In addition to celebrations, the life of the Church is expressed in family pastoral care and in catechetical training which is offered not only for Christian initiation, but also for teenagers and young people. The immense work, especially for the preparation for first communion and confirmation, is guaranteed by the generous and free commitment of many faithful catechists, following the training courses that are regularly offered by the vicariate.

It is always thanks to the great availability of the faithful that our churches can have choirs for liturgical animation. The good celebration is also guaranteed by the numerous volunteers who are committed to maintaining order during the celebrations, by the readers, the extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist and the young ministers of the altar (altar boys). It is edifying to see how many faithful tirelessly commit themselves to the various ministries and services for the life of the Church.

In addition to catechesis, our parishes organize significant moments of conviviality and celebration on the occasion of the various patronal celebrations and of their countries of origin.

Furthermore, the life of our Church is favored by the presence of numerous linguistic communities which help the faithful to feel at home, especially in the early stages after arrival, and ensure their integration into society and the Church. The task of the linguistic communities is to introduce the faithful to the entire parish reality. We consider this one of the truly unique points of our Church. It is made up entirely of migrants. They all come from abroad and are here for work. The Church safeguards their identity and supports the growth of faith. But it is truly a sight to see a Church of faithful who not only maintains its own traditions, but also shares them with others. Everyone can discover the richness of other rites and other liturgical traditions. Of course this isn’t always easy. Sometimes there is the desire to redo on site exactly what was done in one’s land of origin. But part of being a migrant is accepting to walk together with other believers and sharing one’s spiritual riches.

Another richness is given by the presence of various movements, associations and ecclesial groups. Many of these realities are linked to their countries of origin; other realities have an international character and help all the faithful to feel part of a single Church. These are realities characterized by specific charisms, linked to prayer, spiritual animation and the believing reading of the Word of God.

Another important experience of the apostolic vicariate is the promotion of Catholic schools. At the moment there are ten schools in the United Arab Emirates, managed directly by the apostolic vicariate or by some religious orders. These are realities that are strongly appreciated not only by our faithful, but also by people belonging to other religions, in particular by Muslims, who attend them profitably. They are an extraordinary opportunity to spread values dear to the Christian community and promote dialogue between people of different cultures and religions.

In Oman, in many respects the situation of Christians is similar to that of the Emirates. There are four parishes. Diplomatic relations with the Holy See have been established a few months ago and the recent appointment of the apostolic nuncio, resident in Cairo, gives us hope for the future of the Church.

A completely different situation is that of Christians in Yemen, tormented by over eight years of civil war. The current improvement in relations between the parties involved does not yet allow for a stable recovery. The remaining Christians are tenacious, they are a sign of hope. Currently there are two communities of the Missionaries of Charity of Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta and a priest belonging to the male branch of the same congregation. The nuns remained to serve the poor and the sick despite the fact that 25 years ago three sisters were killed. Furthermore, on March 4, 2016, at the beginning of the civil war, four of them were barbarically murdered together with some lay collaborators by an extremist group hating the faith.

Pope Francis recently remembered them with these words: “They are the martyrs of our time. Among these killed lay people, in addition to Christians, there were Muslim faithful who worked with the nuns. We are moved to see how the testimony of blood can unite people of different religions. One must never kill in the name of God, because for Him we are all brothers and sisters. But together we can give our lives for others.” (General Audience 19 April 2023)

Here is a synthetic image of Christians in Arabia, a community marked by martyrdom in the past (Saint Arethas) as in the present: a Church called to be a witness to the world of the joy of the Gospel and to work for the good life of all.

*English translation of an article that appeared in L’Osservatore Romano on August 30, 2023. The original article in Italian can be found here.