Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia

Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia Apostolicus Vicariatus Arabiae Septentrionalis النيابة الرسولية العربية الشمالية
File:Apostolisches Vikariat Nördliches Arabien.png
Location
Country	Kuwait Bahrain Qatar Saudi Arabia
Statistics
Area
Population - Total - Catholics	(as of 2012) 2,650,000 1,127,954 (42.6%)
Parishes	4
Information
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Sui iuris church	Latin Church
Rite	Roman Rite
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	Holy Family Cathedral, Kuwait
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Apostolic Vicar	Camillo Ballin
Emeritus Bishops	Francis George Adeodatus Micallef Vicar Apostolic Emeritus (1982-2005)
Website
Website of the Apostolic Vicariate

The Vicariate Apostolic of Northern Arabia (Latin: Vicariatus Apostolicus Arabiæ Septentrionalis Arabic: القاصد الرسولي في شمال المملكة العربية) is a Catholic vicariate apostolic located in Bahrain. It covers the countries of: Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, although there are no churches in Saudi Arabia. The superior of the vicariate is the Italian Bishop Camillo Ballin MCCJ. 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.

Formerly part of the Vicariate Apostolic of Arabia, in 1953 the vicariate was established with the name of the Vicariate Apostolic of Kuwait. In 2011, some additional territory of the Vicariate Apostolic of Arabia was transferred to this jurisdiction and both vicariates were renamed.

In August 2012, it was decided to transfer the headquarters of the vicariate from Kuwait to Bahrain because Bahrain is closer to Saudi Arabia, where most of the vicariate's laypeople live. Another reason for the transfer was that Bahrain had a more lenient visa policy.

File:Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia.gif

Coat of arms of the Aposltolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia

See also

• Roman Catholic Vicariate Apostolic of Southern Arabia
• Roman Catholicism in Bahrain
• Roman Catholicism in Kuwait
• Roman Catholicism in Saudi Arabia
• Roman Catholicism in Qatar

External links

• Vicariate Apostolic of Northern Arabia
• Catholic Hierarchy.org entry
• GCatholic.org