Bahrain
Letter From
Bahrain
John R Ridley
Bahrain is set to become headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church’s Vicariate of Northern Arabia. John R Ridley talks about the significance of this decision by the Vatican and how it is entwined with history.
D
uring the month of August, the Vatican announced that The Kingdom of Bahrain will succeed Kuwait as the headquarters of the Vicariate of Northern Arabia. Headed by Bishop Camillo Ballin, the Bishop’s staff will look after the spiritual wellbeing of over two million Roman Catholics in the GCC area. Transfer of the official residence of the Bishop will take place following the completion of the new Roman Catholic Cathedral, being built on a 9,000 square metre plot of land in Alawi - land donated in May by the King, His Royal Highness Shaikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. The three Abrahamic religions are fundamental to the civilisation of the Middle East. Outside the region few people realise that the countries of the Middle East have sizeable Arab Jewish and Christian populations who live their lives in peace and are free to worship as they choose - without
hindrance. Muslims across the whole region are rightly proud that they can follow the traditions of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) who worked to ensure safety and freedom of Christians throughout Arabia. New places of worship are built where communities are large enough to support them, in 2009 Mar Thoma was the
and the Middle East have been the centre of international commerce and seafaring since the earliest days of trade, and have witnessed both social and religious interaction throughout history; the Kingdom’s openness and tolerance towards religion was a major consideration for the Vatican. Churches, Mosques and the calls to prayer of Christians and Muslims are a fundamental part of the psychological, social and historical fabric of Arab lives. No one objects to hearing each other’s religious calls, they each have their own beauty; to hear both, sometimes just minutes apart, is a reminder of the true teachings of the prophets of these great religions
“Outside of the region, few people realise that the countries of the Middle East have sizeable Arab Jewish and Christian populations who live their lives in peace, are free to worship as they choose.” second church to open in Qatar’s massive ecumenical complex - established for the Christian community. Diversity and welcoming of others have been part of Bahraini and Arab history and culture for thousands of years. Bahrain
John Ridley is a journalist who has lived and worked in the Middle East for more than thirty years. Based in Bahrain, John can be contacted at john@johnridley.nu
‘View from the Cupola of the Vatican’, photo by Atina’s Semester in Vienna
70 | Bahrain Confidential | September 2012