Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia

Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia Apostolicus Vicariatus Arabiae Septentrionalis النيابة الرسولية العربية الشمالية
Location
Country	Kuwait Bahrain Qatar Saudi Arabia
Statistics
Area	17,900 km2 (6,900 sq mi)
Population - Total - Catholics	(as of 2014) 36,252,722 2,445,000 (6.7%)
Churches	7
Information
Denomination	Catholic
Sui iuris church	Latin Church
Rite	Roman Rite, Maronite, Syro-Malabar, Syro-Malankara, Coptic Catholic
Established	29 June 1953 (As Prefecture Apostolic of Kuwait) 2 December 1954 (As Apostolic Vicariate of Kuwait) 31 May 2011 (As Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia)
Cathedral	Cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia, Bahrain Holy Family Cathedral, Kuwait
Patroness	Our Lady of Arabia
Secular priests	54
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Apostolic Vicar	Bishop Paolo Martinelli OFM Cap
Apostolic Administrator	Bishop Paul Hinder OFM Cap
Map
Website
Website of the Apostolic Vicariate

The Apostolic Vicariate (or Vicariate Apostolic) of Northern Arabia (Template:Lang-la Arabic: النيابة الرسولية العربية الشمالية) is a Catholic apostolic vicariate (exempt pre-diocesan Latin missionary jurisdiction) with official seat in Bahrain.

It is exempt, i.e. directly subject to the Holy See and its Roman Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, not part of any ecclesiastical province.

Its cathedral episcopal see is the Holy Family Cathedral, in Kuwait City, capital of Kuwait. The most recent Ordinary of the vicariate is the Italian titular bishop Camillo Ballin, a member of the Comboni Missionaries, who died on April 12, 2020. The vicariate is currently led by its Apostolic Administrator Bishop Paul Hinder OFM Cap, who is also the Emeritus Apostolic Vicar of Southern Arabia.

Statistics

It covers the peninsular Arabian countries of : Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, although there are no churches on Saudi territory.

As per 2015, it pastorally served 2,553,945 Catholics (6.4% of 39,762,819 total) on 2,179,846 km² in 11 parishes with 54 priests (12 diocesan, 42 religious), 2 deacons and 61 lay religious (43 brothers, 18 sisters) and a seminarian.

History

• Established on 1953.06.29 as Apostolic Prefecture of Kuwait, on territory split off from the then Apostolic Vicariate of Arabia (now: of South Arabia)
• Promoted on 1954.12.02 as Apostolic Vicariate of Kuwait, hence entitled to a titular bishop.
• Renamed on 2011.05.31 as Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia (English) / Arabiæ Settentrionale (Latin adjective), having gained some additional territory from the Apostolic Vicariate of Arabia, which was simultaneously renamed the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia, which covers the other peninsular Arabian countries (Oman, UAE and Yemen).

In January 2011, Pope Benedict XVI through the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments declared the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title Our Lady of Arabia patroness of the Northern Vicariate (feast on the 2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time).

In August 2012, it was decided to transfer the headquarters of the vicariate from Kuwait to Bahrain, which is in the centre of the vicariate. Another reason for the transfer was that Bahrain had a more permissive visa policy.

Episcopal ordinaries

(all Roman Rite, so far European members of Latin missionary congregations)

Apostolic Prefect of Kuwait

• Ubaldo Teofano Stella, Discalced Carmelites (O.C.D.) (29 June 1953 – 2 December 1954 see below)

Apostolic Vicars of Kuwait

1. Ubaldo Teofano Stella, O.C.D. (born Italy) (see above 2 December 1954 – retired March 1966), Titular Bishop of Antæopolis (1955.06.04 – death 1978.11.09)
2. Victor León Esteban San Miguel y Erce, O.C.D. (born Spain) (31 May 1976 – retired 5 November 1981), Titular Bishop of Rusubbicari (1976.05.31 – death 1995.04.04); initially as Apostolic Administrator 1966.03.17 – 1976.05.31
3. Francis George Adeodatus Micallef, O.C.D. (born Malta) (5 November 1981 – retired 14 July 2005), Titular Bishop of Tinisa in Proconsulari (1981.11.05 – death 2018.01.03)
4. Camillo Ballin, Combonian Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus (M.C.C.I.) (born Italy) (14 July 2005 – 31 May 2011 see below), Titular Bishop of Arna (2005.07.14 – 2011.05.31)

Apostolic Vicars of Northern Arabia

1. Camillo Ballin, M.C.C.I. (see above 31 May 2011 – death 12 April 2020)

Apostolic Administrators

1. Victor León Esteban San Miguel y Erce OCD (born Spain) (see above 1966.03.17 – 1976.05.31)
2. Paul Hinder, OFM Cap (born Switzerland) (13 May 2020 – present) Titular Bishop of Macon, Apostolic Vicar of Southern Arabia

Parishes

• Four in Kuwait : the vicar's own Holy Family Cathedral Parish, in Kuwait City; Our Lady of Arabia Parish, in Ahmadi; St. Thérèse Parish, in Salmiya; St. Daniel Comboni Parish, in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh
• Bahrain : Sacred Heart, Manama; Awali mission
• Qatar: Our Lady of the Rosary

Coat of arms

The proposal of coat of arms created by Marek Sobola, a heraldic artist from Slovakia. The colors of the new coat of arms are derived from the national colors of the states, which are incorporated into the Vicariate – Bahrain (red), Kuwait (black), Qatar (violet) and Saudi Arabia (green). The letter "M" is the symbol of the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title Our Lady of Arabia as patron saint of the Northern Vicariate.

See also

• Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia
• List of Catholic dioceses in Northern Arabia
• Catholic Church in Bahrain
• Catholic Church in Kuwait
• Catholic Church in Saudi Arabia
• Catholic Church in Qatar

External links

• GCatholic.org, with Google map & – satellite photo; data for most sections
• Vicariate Apostolic of Northern Arabia official website
• Catholic Hierarchy.org entry ^{[self-published]}