Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia

The territory was originally part of the Vicariate Apostolic of the Gallas, but it was separated into an apostolic prefecture by Pope Pius IX on 21 January 1875. On 25 April 1888, Pope Leo XIII made the Apostolic Vicariate of Aden, located in Yemen. On the 28 June 1889, the name was changed to the Vicariate Apostolic of Arabia, responsible for the countries of the Arabian Peninsula and surrounding region: Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Somalia and Yemen.[6]

On 29 June 1953, the then Apostolic Prefecture of Kuwait (which has become the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia) was separated from the Apostolic Vicariate of Arabia. In 1973, the see of the jurisdiction was transferred from Aden to St. Joseph's Cathedral in Abu Dhabi.[7] A subsequent redrawing of boundaries in 2011 reduced its jurisdiction to the countries of Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

The vicariate has been governed by the Capuchin friars since 1916.[6]

1. Louis-Callixte Lasserre, OFM Cap. (1888 – April 1900)
2. Bernard Thomas Edward Clark, OFM Cap. (21 March 1902 – 18 June 1910)
3. Raffaele Presutti, OFM Cap. (13 September 1910 – 1915)
4. Evangelista Latino Enrico Vanni, OFM Cap. (15 April 1916 – 1925)
5. Pacifico Tiziano Micheloni, OFM Cap. (25 April 1933 – 6 July 1936)
6. Giovanni Tirinnanzi, OFM Cap. (2 July 1937 – 27 January 1949)[8]
7. Irzio Luigi Magliacani, OFM Cap. (25 December 1949 – 1969)
8. Giovanni Bernardo Gremoli, OFM Cap. (2 October 1975 – 21 March 2005)
9. Paul Hinder, OFM Cap. (21 March 2005 – present) [9]

• Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia
• Catholic Church in the United Arab Emirates
• Catholic Church in Oman
• Catholic Church in Yemen

• Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia
• Interview with Mgr Paul Hinder about Catholicism in the region
• Catholic Hierarchy.org entry
• GCatholic.org
• Video explaining the history of The OFM Cap. in Arabia