The Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia ( la, Vicariatus Apostolicus Arabiæ Meridionalis) is an apostolic vicariate of the Catholic Church with territorial jurisdiction for Oman, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. The vicar apostolic of the vicariate is Paolo Martinelli,

OFM Cap. The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (; postnominal abbr. O.F.M. Cap.) is a religious order of Franciscan friars within the Catholic Church, one of Three " First Orders" that reformed from the Franciscan Friars Minor Observant (OFM Obs., now OFM) ...

It was first established in 1888 (as the

Apostolic Vicariate of Aden The Apostolic Vicariate of Aden was the ''First Vicariate'' created in Arabia, It was established in 1888 and in 1889, it was dissolved and renamed into the Apostolic Vicariate of Arabia. History The territory was originally part of the Vicar ...

) and took its current name in 2011. The

see See or SEE may refer to: * Sight - seeing Arts, entertainment, and media * Music: ** ''See'' (album), studio album by rock band The Rascals *** "See", song by The Rascals, on the album ''See'' ** "See" (Tycho song), song by Tycho * Television * ...

of the vicar apostolic is in St. Joseph's Cathedral in

Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi (, ; ar, أَبُو ظَبْيٍ ' ) is the capital and second-most populous city (after Dubai) of the United Arab Emirates. It is also the capital of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the centre of the Abu Dhabi Metropolitan Area. ...

. Since 1916 it 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 Pope Pius IX ( it, Pio IX, ''Pio Nono''; born Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878, the longest verified papal reign. He was notable for convoking the First Vatican ...

on 21 January 1875. On 25 April 1888, Pope Leo XIII made the

, 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 The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plate ...

and surrounding region: Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Somalia and Yemen. On 29 June 1953, the then Apostolic Prefecture of Kuwait (which has become the

Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia The Apostolic Vicariate (or Vicariate Apostolic) of Northern Arabia ( la, Vicariatus Apostolicus Arabiæ Septentrionalis Arabic: النيابة الرسولية العربية الشمالية) is a Catholic apostolic vicariate (exempt pre-dioces ...

) was separated from the

Apostolic Vicariate of Arabia The Apostolic Vicariate of Arabia ( la, Vicariatus Apostolicus Arabiæ) was an apostolic vicariate of the Catholic Church with territorial jurisdiction for Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. The ...

. In 1973, the see of the jurisdiction was transferred from Aden to St. Joseph's Cathedral in

. 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.

Apostolic Vicars of Arabia

Louis-Callixte Lasserre Louis-Callixte Lasserre, OFMCap was a French Capuchin. He served as a bishop and missionary in the Middle East and Africa. Life Louis was born in Morestel on 6 April 1839; at the age of 23, he joined the seminary on 22 August 1862 and was or ...

(1888 – April 1900) #

Bernard Thomas Edward Clark Bernard Thomas Edward Clark (12 November 1856 - 26 September 1915) was an English Catholic Bishop and Missionary. Life Bernard Thomas Edward Clark was born in London on 12 November 1856. He joined the Capuchin Province of Paris in 1874 and ...

(21 March 1902 – 18 June 1910) # Raffaele Presutti,

(13 September 1910 – 1915) # Evangelista Latino Enrico Vanni,

(15 April 1916 – 1925) #

Pacifico Tiziano Micheloni Pacifico Tiziano Micheloni OFM Cap. (8 March 1881 – 6 July 1936 ) was an Italian bishop and missionary who served as the Apostolic Vicar of Arabia from 25 April 1933 to 6 July 1936, he also served as the Titular Bishop of Lete. Life Mo ...

(25 April 1933 – 6 July 1936) # Giovanni Tirinnanzi,

(2 July 1937 – 27 January 1949) # Irzio Luigi Magliacani,

(25 December 1949 – 1969) #

Giovanni Bernardo Gremoli Giovanni Bernardo Gremoli (June 30, 1926 – July 6, 2017) was a Roman Catholic bishop. Born in Italy, Gremoli was ordained to the priesthood in 1951. Gremoli served as titular bishop of Masuccaba and was Vicar Apostolic of Arabia from 19 ...

(2 October 1975 – 21 March 2005) # Paul Hinder,

(21 March 2005 – 31 May 2011)

Apostolic Vicars of Southern Arabia

# Paul Hinder,

(31 May 2011 – 1 May 2022) # Paolo Martinelli,

(1 May 2022 – present)

Statistics

Area

* 929,969 km²

Population

*Total population: 42,948,063 *Total Catholic Population: 998,500 *Parishes: 16 *Diocesan priests: 17 *Priests belonging to Religious Institutes: 51 *Total Priests: 68 *Permanent deacons living in the diocese: 1 *Professed non-priest Men Religious belonging to Religious Institutes: 1 *Professed Women Religious belonging to Religious Institutes: 53

List of Churches under The Jurisdiction of The Vicar

United Arab Emirates

- St. Joseph's Cathedral Mussafah - St. Paul's Church

Al Ain Al Ain ( ar, ٱلْعَيْن, , ) is a city in the western side of Tawam (region), Tuwwam region and the seat of the administrative division of its namesake, Al-Ain Region, Abu Dhabi, Al Ain in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. ...

- St. Mary's Church

Ruwais ''Ar-Ruwais'' ( ar, ٱلـرُّوَيْـس, lit=The Small head) is a city located some west of Abu Dhabi City, in the Western Region of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. "Al Ruwais" is largely dropped in relation to the Ruwais Refinery and other in ...

- St. John the Baptist Church Dubai - St. Mary's Church Jebel Ali - St. Francis of Assisi Church Sharjah - St. Michael's 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 Sohar ( ar, صُحَار, also Romanized as Suḥār) is the capital and largest city of the Al Batinah North Governorate in Oman. An ancient capital of the country that once served as an important Islamic port town, Suhar has also been credited ...

- St. Anthony's Church

Yemen

Aden Aden ( ar, عدن ' Yemeni: ) is a city, and since 2015, the temporary capital of Yemen, near the eastern approach to the Red Sea (the Gulf of Aden), some east of the strait Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000 people. ...

- Proto-Cathedral St. Francis of Assisi, Aden

Hodeidah Al-Hudaydah ( ar, الْحُدَيْدَة, al-ḥudayda), also transliterated as Hodeda, Hodeida, Hudaida or Hodeidah, is the fourth-largest city in Yemen and its principal port on the Red Sea. As of 2004, its population was 402,560 and it is ...

- Sacred Heart Church Sana'a - St. Mary Help of Christians Church, Sanaa Taiz - St. Therese of the Child Jesus Church

References

External links

Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia
* ttp://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/darab.html Catholic Hierarchy.org entrybr>GCatholic.orgVideo explaining the history of The OFM Cap. in Arabia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Southern Arabia Apostolic vicariates Catholic Church in Oman Catholic Church in the United Arab Emirates Catholic Church in Yemen Catholic Church in Somaliland Roman Catholic dioceses in the Middle East Religious organizations established in 1888 Roman Catholic dioceses and prelatures established in the 19th century Catholic Church in the Middle East Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia