Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia, United Arab Emirates

Continent: Central and Southwest Asia

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Apostolic Vicariate

Name: Southern Arabia (English) / Arabia del Sud (français) / Arabiæ Meridionalis (Latin)

Immediately subject to the Holy See

Depends on: Dicastery for Evangelisation

Websites:

Celebrations

Patron Saint: Our Lady of Arabia (Saturday before 2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time)

Liturgical Calendar 📅

History

1840: Established as Apostolic Prefecture of Jedda (English) / Gedda (Italiano) / Djiddah (from Apostolic Vicariate of Egypt and Arabia)
1841: Renamed as Apostolic Prefecture of Aden
1888.05.04: Promoted as Apostolic Vicariate of Aden (gained territory from Apostolic Vicariate of Galla)
1889.06.28: Renamed as Apostolic Vicariate of Arabia / Arabiæ (Latin)
1953.06.29: Lost territory to establish Apostolic Prefecture of Kuwait
2011.05.31: Renamed as Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia (English) / Arabia del Sud (français) / Arabiæ Meridionalis (Latin) (lost territory to Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia)

Papal Visits

Pope Francis (2019.02)

Tweets

Present Prelates

Vicar Apostolic (2022.05.01 – ...):

Bishop Paolo Martinelli, O.F.M. Cap. (65)

Ordinaries

Vicars Apostolic of Southern Arabia (Roman Rite)

Bishop Paolo Martinelli, O.F.M. Cap. (65)
(2022.05.01 – ...)

Vicar Apostolic of Southern Arabia (United Arab Emirates)

Gloria Dei vivens homo

Born:	1958.10.22 (Milano, Italy)
Ordained Priest:	1985.09.07
Consecrated Bishop:	2014.06.28

Titular Bishop of Musti in Numidia (2014.05.24 – 2022.05.01)

Auxiliary Bishop of Milano (Italy) (2014.05.24 – 2022.05.01)

Vicar Apostolic of Southern Arabia (United Arab Emirates) (2022.05.01 – ...)

Bishop Paul Hinder, O.F.M. Cap. (81)
(2011.05.31 – 2022.05.01)

Titular Bishop of Macon
Vicar Apostolic emeritus of Southern Arabia (United Arab Emirates)

Justitia et pax et gaudium / Justice, peace and joy

Born:	1942.04.22 (Bussnang, Switzerland)
Ordained Priest:	1967.07.04
Consecrated Bishop:	2004.01.30

Auxiliary Bishop of Arabia (United Arab Emirates) (2003.12.12 – 2005.03.21)

Titular Bishop of Macon (2003.12.12 – ...)

Vicar Apostolic of Arabia (United Arab Emirates) (2005.03.21 – 2011.05.31)

Vicar Apostolic of Southern Arabia (United Arab Emirates) (2011.05.31 – 2022.05.01)

Apostolic Administrator of Northern Arabia (Kuwait) (2020.05.13 – 2023.01.28)

Vicars Apostolic of Arabia (Roman Rite)

Bishop Paul Hinder, O.F.M. Cap. (81)
(2005.03.21 – 2011.05.31)

(see above)

Bishop Giovanni Bernardo Gremoli, O.F.M. Cap.
(1975.10.02 – 2005.03.21)

Ut omnes unum sint

Born:	1926.06.30 (Italy)
Ordained Priest:	1951.02.17
Consecrated Bishop:	1976.02.22
Died:	2017.07.06 († 91)

Vicar Apostolic of Arabia (United Arab Emirates) (1975.10.02 – 2005.03.21)

Titular Bishop of Masuccaba (1975.10.02 – 2017.07.06)

Bishop Irzio Luigi Magliacani, O.F.M. Cap.
(1949.12.25 – 1969.12.04)

Born:	1892.02.16 (Italy)
Ordained Priest:	1915.03.20
Consecrated Bishop:	1950.05.28
Died:	1976.03.15 († 84)

Vicar Apostolic of Arabia (United Arab Emirates) (1949.12.25 – 1969.12.04)

Titular Bishop of Dium (1949.12.25 – 1976.03.15)

Bishop Giovanni Tirinnanzi, O.F.M. Cap.
(1937.07.02 – 1949.01.27)

Born:	1869.03.28 (Italy)
Ordained Priest:	1891.10.11
Consecrated Bishop:	1937.10.28
Died:	1949.01.27 († 79)

Titular Bishop of Gaza (1937.07.02 – 1949.01.27)

Vicar Apostolic of Arabia (United Arab Emirates) (1937.07.02 – 1949.01.27)

Bishop Pacifico Tiziano Micheloni, O.F.M. Cap.
(1933.04.25 – 1936.07.06)

Born:	1881.03.08 (Italy)
Ordained Priest:	1903.09.19
Consecrated Bishop:	1933.09.08
Died:	1936.07.06 († 55)

Titular Bishop of Lete (1933.04.25 – 1936.07.06)

Vicar Apostolic of Arabia (United Arab Emirates) (1933.04.25 – 1936.07.06)

Archbishop Evangelista Latino Enrico Vanni, O.F.M. Cap.
(1916.04.15 – 1925)

Instaurare omnia in Christo

Born:	1878.12.28 (Italy)
Ordained Priest:	1901.07.07
Consecrated Bishop:	1916.09.21
Died:	1962.05.09 († 83)

Vicar Apostolic of Arabia (United Arab Emirates) (1916.04.15 – 1925)

Titular Archbishop of Tenedus (1916.04.15 – 1937.08.21)

Coadjutor Archbishop of Agra (India) (1930 – 1937.08.21)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Agra (India) (1937.08.21 – 1956)

Titular Archbishop of Bizya (1956 – 1962.05.09)

Bishop Filippo Raffaele Presutti, O.F.M. Cap.
(1910.09.13 – 1914.08.03)

Born:	1845.01.09 (Italy)
Ordained Priest:	1868.12.08
Consecrated Bishop:	1910.11.30
Died:	1914.08.03 († 69)

Titular Bishop of Anchialus (1910.09.13 – 1914.08.03)

Vicar Apostolic of Arabia (United Arab Emirates) (1910.09.13 – 1914.08.03)

Bishop Bernardine Thomas Edward Clark, O.F.M. Cap.
(1902.03.21 – 1910.06.18)

Born:	1856.11.26 (England)
Ordained Priest:	1881?
Consecrated Bishop:	1902.06.01
Died:	1915.09.26 († 58)

Titular Bishop of Tingis (1902.03.21 – 1910.06.18)

Vicar Apostolic of Arabia (United Arab Emirates) (1902.03.21 – 1910.06.18)

Bishop of Port Victoria (Seychelles) (1910.06.18 – 1915.09.26)

Fr. Jean Chrysostome Bigel, O.F.M. Cap.
(1901.02.27 – 1902 not possessed)

Born:	1854.02.09 (France)
Died:	1931.08.12 († 77)

Titular Bishop of Eumenia (1901.02.27 – 1902 not possessed)

Vicar Apostolic of Arabia (United Arab Emirates) (1901.02.27 – 1902 not possessed)

Bishop Louis-Callixte Lasserre, O.F.M. Cap.
(1889.06.28 – 1900.04)

Born:	1839.04.06 (France)
Consecrated Bishop:	1882.12.10
Died:	1903.08.22 († 64)

Prefect Apostolic of Aden (United Arab Emirates) (1871.10.12 [1886.06] – 1888.05.04)

Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic of Galla (Ethiopia) (1881.03.15 – 1886.06)

Titular Bishop of Marocco (1881.03.15 – 1903.08.22)

Vicar Apostolic of Aden (United Arab Emirates) (1888.05.04 – 1889.06.28)

Vicar Apostolic of Arabia (United Arab Emirates) (1889.06.28 – 1900.04)

Vicars Apostolic of Aden (Roman Rite)

Bishop Louis-Callixte Lasserre, O.F.M. Cap.
(1888.05.04 – 1889.06.28)

(see above)

Prefects Apostolic of Aden (Roman Rite)

Bishop Louis-Callixte Lasserre, O.F.M. Cap.
(1871.10.12 – 1888.05.04)

(see above)

Fr. Giovenale da Tortosa, O.F.M. Cap.
(1858 – 1864)

Born:

(Spain)

Prefect Apostolic of Aden (United Arab Emirates) (1858 – 1864)

Fr. Luigi Sturla
(1854 – 1858)

Born:

(Italy)

Prefect Apostolic of Aden (United Arab Emirates) (1854 – 1858)

Bishop Guglielmo Massaia, O.F.M. Cap. (later Cardinal)
(1846.05.12 – 1854)

Born:	1809.06.08 (La Braja di Piovà, Italy)
Ordained Priest:	1832.06.16
Consecrated Bishop:	1846.05.24
Created Cardinal:	1884.11.10
Died:	1889.08.06 (Amirante, Italy † 80)

Prefect Apostolic of Aden (United Arab Emirates) (1846.05.12 – 1854)

Vicar Apostolic of Galla (Ethiopia) (1846.05.12 – 1880.08)

Titular Bishop of Casium (1846.05.12 – 1881.08.02)

Titular Archbishop of Stauropolis (1881.08.02 – 1884.11.10)

Cardinal-Priest of Ss. Vitale, Valeria, Gervasio e Protasio (1884.11.13 – 1889.08.06)

Former Prelates

Vice Prefect Apostolic: Fr. Alfonso Cianfanelli, O.F.M. Cap. (1865 – 1871.08.06)
Vice Prefect Apostolic: Fr. Benedict d’Iglesias, O.F.M. Cap. (1864 – 1865)
Vice Prefect Apostolic: Fr. Marco Gradenigo, O.S.M. (1845 – 1848)
Vice Prefect Apostolic: Fr. Antonio Bonajunta Foguet, O.S.M. (1844 – 1845)
Vice Prefect Apostolic: Fr. Serafini Pellegrino, O.S.M. (1841 – 1844.01.10)
Vice Prefect Apostolic: Fr. Antonio Bonajunta Foguet, O.S.M. (1840 – 1841)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Paul Hinder, O.F.M. Cap. (81) (2003.12.12 – 2005.03.21)