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Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia

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Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia
Apostolicus Vicariatus Arabiae Meridionalis
النيابة الرسولية لجنوب شبه الجزيرة العربية
Catholic
Location
Country Yemen
United Arab Emirates
Oman
Statistics
Area 929,969 km2 (359,063 sq mi)[1]
Population
Total
Catholics 		(as of 2022)
45,232,171[1]
1,005,600[1] (2.2%)
Parishes 17[1]
Information
Denomination Catholic Church
Rite Byzantine Rite[2]
Coptic Catholic
Malankara Rite[3][4]
Maronite
Roman Rite
Syro-Malabar[4]
Cathedral St. Joseph's Cathedral, Abu Dhabi
Secular priests 69 (total)
14 (diocesan)
55 (religious)[1]
Language Latin
Arabic
English
Filipino[3]
French[3][2]
German[3][2]
Italian[3][2]
Konkani[5]
Korean[3][2]
Malayalam[6]
Marathi[7]
Polish[3]
Sinhala[8]
Spanish[2]
Tagalog[9]
Tamil[10]
Ukrainian[3]
Urdu[11]
Current leadership
Pope Leo XIV
Vicar Apostolic Paolo Martinelli
Bishops emeritus Paul Hinder
Map
Website
avosa.org

The Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia (Latin: Vicariatus Apostolicus Arabiæ Meridionalis; Arabic: النيابة الرسولية لجنوب شبه الجزيرة العربية) is an apostolic vicariate of the Catholic Church with territorial jurisdiction over Oman, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.[12] The current vicar apostolic is Paolo Martinelli.[13]

It was first established in 1888 (as the Apostolic Vicariate of Aden) and took its current name in 2011. The see of the vicar apostolic is in Saint Joseph's Cathedral in Abu Dhabi. Since 1916, the cathedral has been in the care of the Capuchins of Florence.

History

The territory was originally part of the Vicariate Apostolic of the Gallas, but it was separated into an apostolic prefecture by Pope Pius IX on 21 January 1875. On 25 April 1888, Pope Leo XIII made the Apostolic Vicariate of Aden, located in Yemen. On the 28 June 1889, the name was changed to the Vicariate Apostolic of Arabia, responsible for the countries of the Arabian Peninsula and surrounding region: Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Somalia and Yemen.[14]

On 29 June 1953, the then Apostolic Prefecture of Kuwait (which has become the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia) was separated from the Apostolic Vicariate of Arabia. In 1973, the see of the jurisdiction was transferred from Aden to St. Joseph's Cathedral in Abu Dhabi.[15] A subsequent redrawing of boundaries in 2011 reduced its jurisdiction to the countries of Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

The vicariate has been governed by the Capuchin friars since 1916.[14]

Apostolic Vicars of Arabia

  1. Louis-Callixte Lasserre (1888 – April 1900)
  2. Bernard Thomas Edward Clark (21 March 1902 – 18 June 1910)
  3. Raffaele Presutti (13 September 1910 – 1915)
  4. Evangelista Latino Enrico Vanni (15 April 1916 – 1925)
  5. Pacifico Tiziano Micheloni (25 April 1933 – 6 July 1936)
  6. Giovanni Tirinnanzi (2 July 1937 – 27 January 1949)[16]
  7. Irzio Luigi Magliacani (25 December 1949 – 1969)
  8. Giovanni Bernardo Gremoli (2 October 1975 – 21 March 2005)
  9. Paul Hinder (21 March 2005 – 31 May 2011)[17]

Apostolic Vicars of Southern Arabia

  1. Paul Hinder (31 May 2011 – 1 May 2022)[18]
  2. Paolo Martinelli (1 May 2022 – present)

Statistics

Source:[1]

Area

  • 929,969 km2 (359,063 sq mi)

Population

  • Total population: 45,232,171
  • Total Catholic population: 1,005,600
  • Parishes: 17
  • Diocesan priests: 14
  • Priests belonging to Religious Institutes: 55
  • Total Priests: 65
  • Permanent deacons living in the diocese: 0
  • Professed non-ordained Male Religious belonging to Religious Institutes: 2
  • Professed Female Religious belonging to Religious Institutes: 50

List of churches under the jurisdiction of the vicar

United Arab Emirates

Abu Dhabi - St. Joseph's Cathedral and St. Francis Church, Abu Dhabi

Mussafah - St. Paul's Church

Al Ain - St. Mary's Church

Ruwais - St. John the Baptist Church

Dubai - St. Mary's Catholic Church

Jebel Ali - St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church

Sharjah - St. Michael's Catholic Church

Ras Al Khaimah - St. Anthony of Padua Church

Fujairah - Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church

Oman

Muscat - Holy Spirit Church, Sts. Peter and Paul Church

Salalah - St. Francis Xavier Church

Sohar - St. Anthony's Church

Yemen

Aden - Proto-Cathedral St. Francis of Assisi

Hodeidah - Sacred Heart Church

Sana'a - St. Mary Help of Christians Church

Taiz - St. Therese of the Child Jesus Church

See also

Canonical status and jurisdiction

Vicariate Apostolic of Southern Arabia is a apostolic vicariate of the Catholic Church.[19]

References

  1. Back to citation occurrence 1.0 Back to citation occurrence 1.1 Back to citation occurrence 1.2 Back to citation occurrence 1.3 Back to citation occurrence 1.4 Back to citation occurrence 1.5 Annuario Pontificio (2023) via Catholic-Hierarchy.org "Southern Arabia (Vicariate Apostolic)". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. 24 February 2025. Retrieved 21 March 2026.
  2. Back to citation occurrence 2.0 Back to citation occurrence 2.1 Back to citation occurrence 2.2 Back to citation occurrence 2.3 Back to citation occurrence 2.4 Back to citation occurrence 2.5 "Mass Schedule". St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, Jebel Ali.
  3. Back to citation occurrence 3.0 Back to citation occurrence 3.1 Back to citation occurrence 3.2 Back to citation occurrence 3.3 Back to citation occurrence 3.4 Back to citation occurrence 3.5 Back to citation occurrence 3.6 Back to citation occurrence 3.7 "St Joseph's Cathedral: Abu Dhabi, UAE". Archived from the original on 2020-07-06. Retrieved 2020-08-15.
  4. Back to citation occurrence 4.0 Back to citation occurrence 4.1 "Mass Timings and Devotions". Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church.
  5. Back to citation "St Joseph's Cathedral: Abu Dhabi, UAE". Archived from the original on 2020-07-06. Retrieved 2020-08-15; "Mass Schedule". St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, Jebel Ali; "Mass Timings and Devotions". Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church; "Mass Timings"; "Mass Schedule". St. Anthony's Catholic Church.
  6. Back to citation "St Joseph's Cathedral: Abu Dhabi, UAE". Archived from the original on 2020-07-06. Retrieved 2020-08-15; "Mass Schedule". St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, Jebel Ali; "Mass Timings and Devotions". Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church; "Mass Timings"; "Mass Schedule". St. Anthony's Catholic Church.
  7. Back to citation "Mass Timings".
  8. Back to citation "St Joseph's Cathedral: Abu Dhabi, UAE". Archived from the original on 2020-07-06. Retrieved 2020-08-15; "Mass Schedule". St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, Jebel Ali; "Mass Timings and Devotions". Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church; "Mass Timings".
  9. Back to citation "Mass Schedule". St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, Jebel Ali; "Mass Timings and Devotions". Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church; "Mass Timings"; "Mass Schedule". St. Anthony's Catholic Church.
  10. Back to citation "St Joseph's Cathedral: Abu Dhabi, UAE". Archived from the original on 2020-07-06. Retrieved 2020-08-15; "Mass Schedule". St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, Jebel Ali; "Mass Timings and Devotions". Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church; "Mass Timings"; "Mass Schedule". St. Anthony's Catholic Church.
  11. Back to citation "St Joseph's Cathedral: Abu Dhabi, UAE". Archived from the original on 2020-07-06. Retrieved 2020-08-15; "Mass Timings and Devotions". Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church; "Mass Timings".
  12. Back to citation "History of the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia". St. Mary's Catholic Church. Retrieved 2023-06-01.
  13. Back to citation "Bishop Martinelli named Apostolic Vicar of Southern Arabia - Vatican News". www.vaticannews.va. 2022-05-02. Retrieved 2023-06-01.
  14. Back to citation occurrence 14.0 Back to citation occurrence 14.1 Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Vicariate Apostolic of Arabia". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
  15. Back to citation Vicariate Apostolic of Arabia Archived 2006-08-25 at the Wayback Machine, url accessed September 10, 2006
  16. Back to citation "Bishop chancery". Catholic Church of Our Lady of the Rosary. Retrieved 2011-04-17.
  17. Back to citation "Southern Arabia (Vicariate Apostolic)". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. 24 February 2025. Retrieved 21 March 2026.
  18. Back to citation "Communique from Apostolic Nunciature in UAE: Appointment of New Apostolic Vicar of Southern Arabia". Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia. Retrieved 2022-05-06.
  19. Back to citation Vicariate Apostolic of Southern Arabia, official website
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