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Church in the WorldHistoric church to open this monthQatar E. M. Talbot - 8 March 2008Qatar's first new Catholic church for 1,400 years is set to open on 15 March after the state's minority Catholic community agreed to strict conditions about the nature of the building. Organisers estimate that the consecration of the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary will be attended by thousands of people, including 40 priests, seven bishops and Cardinal Ivan Dias, the India-born head of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples. The 2,000-seat church has reportedly cost the churches of the Arabia vicariate US$18m (£9.1m), and will include a library and conference facilities. Under conditions specified by the state, the church will bear no external signs of Christianity such as a cross or a steeple, staff will inform Qatar's authorities of church services and will not evangelise. Last month the Qatari press published letters and articles from local Muslims expressing hostility to the project, which has the support of the Emir. The Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, donated the land for the site, which is on the outskirts of the capital, Doha, on a 50-year lease. "We just want to have a place to express our faith without disturbing or offending anyone," its Filipino parish priest, Fr Tom Veneration, said. He added that the consecration of the building - which is still not complete - would go ahead "whether it rains or shines, whether there is a sand storm or a hail storm". Qatar's Catholics - who number around 100,000 in a population of 900,000 - come from the Philippines, India, Lebanon, other parts of the Arab world and Africa, as well as Europe and North America. Until now Catholic congregations have met in a small rented parish centre. Parishioners have had to receive the sacraments behind closed doors, with standing-room-only at Masses. The church is one of five to be opened on the site, which has been nicknamed "Church City". The area also has plans for an Anglican church, a Syrian Orthodox church, a Coptic church and a multi-denominational church. The parish will be run by Franciscan Capuchins, whose involvement in the Vicariate of Arabia is reputed to originate from a cordial meeting in 1219 between St Francis of Assisi and the Sultan of Egypt, El Kamil. |
 In this week’s issueMaking markets moral Iron and velvet Love in a Catholic climate Someone to talk to A good Lent takes planning South American surprise Can the Church support abuse victims on its own terms? Elena Curti Is the Church too slow in recognising that academies are the future for Catholic schools? Christopher Lamb Goodwin the scapegoat Elena Curti The pain of being a coeliac Catholic Sr M, guest contributor The Church's moral obligation to victims of clerical sexual abuse Speeches from this week's conference in Rome This week in Rome bishops and religious superiors met at the first Vatican-backed symposium devoted to forging a global response to the crisis of clerical sexual abuse that has disgraced ... Archbishop voices 'shame and sorrow' after priest's abuse trial Longley to visit parishes 'damaged' by Walsh Today, Tuesday 7 February, Bede Walsh, who served as a Catholic priest in the Archdiocese of Birmingham, has been convicted by a jury, following a 10-day trial at Stoke-on-Trent ...
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