The Cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia

Coordinates: 26°04′44″N 50°32′43″E / 26.0789°N 50.54528°E / 26.0789; 50.54528
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Cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia
Map
26°04′44″N 50°32′43″E / 26.0789°N 50.54528°E / 26.0789; 50.54528
LocationAwali, Bahrain
CountryBahrain
Denomination
Weekly attendance15,000+[1]
Websitewww.bahraincathedral.com
History
StatusCathedral
Founded2021; 3 years ago (2021)
Dedication10 December 2021; 2 years ago (2021-12-10)
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Architect(s)Mattia Del Prete and Cristiano Rosponi
Architectural typeModern
GroundbreakingMay 2018; 6 years ago (2018-05)
Completed5 November 2021; 2 years ago (2021-11-05)
Specifications
Capacity2300
Administration
DioceseApostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia
DeaneryBahrain
Clergy
Bishop(s)Most Rev. Aldo Berardi, O.SS.T.
RectorRev. Fr. Saji Thomas, OFM Cap.

The Cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Awali, Bahrain, dedicated to Our Lady of Arabia. It serves as the seat of the Apostolic Vicar of Northern Arabia. It was inaugurated on 9 December 2021[2] by His Majesty Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the King of Bahrain. It is the largest Catholic church in the Arabian Peninsula.[3]

Masses are conducted in various languages, reflecting the population of expatriates in the country, primarily English but also Arabic, Tagalog, Malayalam, and Konkani.

History[edit]

In a gesture of religious tolerance, on 11 February 2013, His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al-Khalifa donated 9,000 square metres (97,000 sq ft) of land for the cathedral.[4] On May 19, 2014, King Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al-Khalifa met with Pope Francis at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican and presented a scale model[5] of the largest church[6] that would be built in the Arabian Peninsula, as a symbol of the Kingdom's commitment to tolerance and coexistence.[7]

The construction work began on May 31, 2014, after the Blessing of the Foundation Stone. The foundation stone was taken from the Holy Door[8] of the Papal Basilica of St. Peter's[9] in the Vatican; it was gifted to the faithful of Arabia as a sign of profound union with the See of Rome. The ground-breaking ceremony was held on June 10, 2018, in the presence of the Vicar Apostolic, Camillo Ballin; the Papal Nuncio, Francisco Padilla; and officials of the Kingdom of Bahrain.[10] Following the death of Monsignor Ballin on April 12, 2020, the construction was overseen by Msgr. Paul Hinder, whom Pope Francis appointed as the Apostolic Administrator of Northern Arabia.

The design of the cathedral was created by the Italian designer and architect Mattia Del Prete and Cristiano Rosponi. Its shape resembles that of a tent, alluding to the "tent of meeting" or tabernacle in which the presence of God was manifested to the prophet Moses[11] as described in the Old Testament.[a][13] The cathedral has a seating capacity of 2300, with two chapels and two large rooms with cubicles for confessions. The roof of the cathedral has an octagonal dome.[14]

In one of the chapels is revealed the patroness of the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia, "Our Lady of Arabia" – the Virgin Mary seated on a throne with a crown on her head, holding the infant Jesus in her right hand and the rosary in her left hand. The "mystery crown artworks" in the cathedral are the masterpiece of Kiko Argüello.

Our Lady of Arabia Statue

The cathedral was inaugurated on the morning of Thursday, 9 December 2021. The ceremony was attended by Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa, who represented the King of Bahrain, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. Also in attendance were Msgr. Paul Hinder, the Apostolic Administrator of Northern Arabia; Msgr. Eugene Nugent, the Apostolic Nuncio in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar; and Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. The next day, on 10 December 2021, Cardinal Tagle presided over the liturgy for the consecration of the place of worship along with Monsignors Nugent and Hinder.

Papal visit[edit]

On 4 November 2022, Pope Francis made a historic visit to the Cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia in Bahrain. During his visit, the Pope expressed his gratitude to the people of Bahrain for their care for the country's Catholic community. He also addressed the issue of unity in diversity within the Christian community and emphasized the importance of praise and worship in bringing Christians together.[15]

The Pope's visit to the Cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia was significant for several reasons. It was the first time a Pope had visited Bahrain. The visit also served as a symbol of the Catholic Church's commitment to interfaith dialogue and its desire to promote greater unity within the Christian community.[16]

Controversies[edit]

The planned construction of the largest Roman Catholic church in the Gulf was intended to demonstrate Bahrain's traditions of religious tolerance in a region where churches face significant limitations. However, it has become another point of tension in a country already divided Muslim communities. Hardline clerics have opposed the construction of the church complex.[17]

Over 70 clerics signed a petition stating that building churches in the Arabian Peninsula was forbidden. The government ordered the transfer of a prominent cleric, Sheikh Adel Hassan al-Hamad,[18] out of his mosque in response to his opposition, but protests by his supporters forced the government to cancel the order.

More than 50 people have died and hundreds have been detained in nearly 19 months of unrest in the country. The Vatican plans to carve out a new apostolic district covering Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. The new administrative headquarters are expected to shift from Kuwait to Bahrain.[17] Bahrain has a unique tradition of tolerance among different religions, sects, and races, with native Christian, Jewish, and Hindu communities.

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ For an example of biblical texts mentioning this, see Book of Exodus 33:7-11.[12]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia, Awali". bahraincathedral. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
  2. ^ "Bahrain inaugurates largest Catholic church in the Gulf". The Jerusalem Post - Christian World. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  3. ^ "Arabian peninsula's biggest Catholic church opens in Bahrain". Al Arabiya English. 10 December 2021. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  4. ^ Gagliarducci, Andrea. "Cattedrale del Bahrein, arrivata la statua di Nostra Signora di Arabia". www.acistampa.com. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  5. ^ "King of Bahrain gives the Pope a model of 'the largest church in the Arab Peninsula'". www.romereports.com. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  6. ^ "Bahrain King presents Pope with model of largest church in the Arabian Peninsula". www.archivioradiovaticana.va. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  7. ^ "Bahrain church project cements Gulf region's reputation for religious tolerance". Arab News. 23 December 2020. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  8. ^ "Blessing of the First stone of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia". www.avona.org. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  9. ^ Dodd, Liz (10 June 2014). "Pope blesses Gulf cathedral with foundation stone from St Peter's". The Tablet. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  10. ^ Smith, Joanna (20 June 2018). "In Bahrain, groundbreaking for the cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia". Church in Need. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  11. ^ Dennehy, John (10 December 2021). "Gulf's largest Roman Catholic cathedral opens in Bahrain". The National. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  12. ^ Exodus 33:7–11
  13. ^ Hayward, C. T. R. (2022). "Tabernacle (Jewish)". In Andrew Louth (ed.). The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (Fourth ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780191744396.
  14. ^ "About the Cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia (COLA); Awali, Kingdom of Bahrain". Bahrain Cathedral. The Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia. 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  15. ^ "Our Lady of Arabia Cathedral - Bahrain Papal Visit". Bahrain Papal Visit. Archived from the original on 16 February 2023. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
  16. ^ Salah, Faisal (4 November 2022). "Worshippers rejoice at Pope Francis's visit to Bahrain cathedral". The National. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  17. ^ a b Associated Press item syndicated in several media outlets:
  18. ^ "Three clerics banned in Bahrain for spreading hate". Daiji World. IANS. Retrieved 17 February 2023.


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