Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia


The Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia is an apostolic vicariate of the Catholic Church with territorial jurisdiction for Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. The vicar apostolic of the vicariate is Bishop Aldo Berardi OSsT. It was first established in 1953 and took its current name in 2011.
The apostolic vicariate is led by a vicar apostolic, who is usually a titular bishop. While such a territory can be classed as a particular Church, according to canon 371.1 of the Latin Code of Canon Law, a vicar apostolic's jurisdiction is an exercise of the jurisdiction of the Pope – the territory comes directly under the Pope as "local bishop", and the vicariate come directly under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Rome, where the pope exercises this authority through a "vicar". This is unlike the jurisdiction of a diocesan bishop, whose jurisdiction derives directly from his office.
The see of the apostolic vicar is in the Cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia in Awali, Bahrain, with a co-cathedral, the Holy Family Co-Cathedral, located in Kuwait City which was the former seat of the vicariate.
WWW avona.org

Statistics

The vicariate serves the peninsular Arabian countries of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, but there are no churches on Saudi territory. As of 2020, it serves a Catholic population of 2,722,000, which is approximately 6.3% of the total population of the region.
The vicariate comprises 11 parishes and has 54 priests, including 11 diocesan and 43 religious priests. Additionally, there are 1 deacon, 44 brothers, 18 sisters, 1 seminarian, and 61 lay religious who support the vicariate.

History

The apostolic vicariate was established as the Apostolic Prefecture of Kuwait in June 1953, on territory split off from the then Apostolic Vicariate of Arabia. It was promoted on 2 December 1954, as the Apostolic Vicariate of Kuwait, entitled to a titular bishop. It was renamed the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia on 31 May 2011, having gained additional territory from the Apostolic Vicariate of Arabia, which was renamed the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia.
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.
In August 2012, the headquarters of the vicariate was transferred from Kuwait to Bahrain, which is in the centre of the vicariate since it had a more permissive visa policy.

Leadership

;Apostolic Prefect of Kuwait
;Apostolic Vicars of Kuwait
  1. Ubaldo Teofano Stella, OCD, Titular Bishop of Antæopolis
  2. Victor León Esteban San Miguel y Erce, OCD, Titular Bishop of Rusubbicari ; initially as Apostolic Administrator 1966.03.17 – 1976.05.31
  3. Francis George Adeodatus Micallef, OCD, Titular Bishop of Tinisa in Proconsulari
  4. Camillo Ballin, Combonian Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus, Titular Bishop of Arna
;Apostolic Vicars of Northern Arabia
  1. Camillo Ballin, MCCI
  2. Aldo Berardi, OSsT
;Apostolic Administrators
  1. Victor León Esteban San Miguel y Erce OCD
  2. Paul Hinder, OFMCap Titular Bishop of Macon, Emeritus'' Apostolic Vicar of Southern Arabia

Parishes

Kuwait: