Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia
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Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia Apostolicus Vicariatus Arabiae Septentrionalis النيابة الرسولية العربية الشمالية |
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| 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%) |
| 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) |
| Map | |
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| Website | |
| Website of the Apostolic Vicariate | |
The Apostolic Vicariate (or Vicariate Apostolic) of Northern Arabia (Latin: Vicariatus Apostolicus Arabiæ Septentrionalis Arabic: النيابة الرسولية العربية الشمالية) is a Catholic vicariate apostolic (exempt pre-diocesan Latin missionary jurisdiction) with official seat in Kuwait.
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, Kuwait. The present Ordinary of the vicariate is the Italian Titular bishop Camillo Ballin MCCJ.
It covers the peninsular Arabian countries of : Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, although there are no churches in Saudi Arabia.
As per 2014, it pastorally served 2,445,000 Catholics (6.7% of 36,252,722 total) on 2,179,846 km² in 10 parishes with 58 priests (18 diocesan, 40 religious), 2 deacons and 58 lay religious (40 brothers, 18 sisters).
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, 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.
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