The Apostolic Vicar of Southern Arabia described the recent visit of the pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization to the United Arab Emirates as a moment that strengthened unity across the vicariate’s multicultural Catholic community.
“The days of Cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle’s recent visit to the United Arab Emirates were memorable not only for the Filipino faithful, but for the entire Vicariate. Through the celebrations and meetings with the Cardinal, we truly experienced unity in diversity, rediscovering that in Christ we are one,” said Bishop Paolo Martinelli.
Cardinal Tagle visited the Emirates from Dec. 16 to 18. According to a report released by the vicariate’s communications office, he conveyed the greetings and blessing of Pope Leo XIV upon his arrival, expressing the pontiff’s closeness to the local Church.
“His presence, his words, and his blessing have given us strength and encouragement to continue our journey as pilgrims of hope, as a Church of migrants, witnesses of Christian hope,” Bishop Martinelli said in a report by the Vatican’s Fides News Agency.
The visit centered on Simbang Gabi celebrations with the Filipino Catholic community, the largest group within the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia.
Simbang Gabi is a traditional nine-day novena of Masses celebrated from Dec. 15 to 23 in preparation for Christmas.
Across the vicariate, the liturgical celebrations were held in the afternoon to accommodate local circumstances, the statement said.
Tagle presided over Simbang Gabi liturgical concelebrations in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, attended by more than 30,000 and 18,000 faithful, respectively.
In his homilies, he offered reflections focused on Mary and Joseph, reminding the faithful that Christmas helps believers recognize God’s love and allows them to be transformed by it.
During meetings with Bishop Martinelli and his collaborators, including priests, religious, and vicariate officials, Cardinal Tagle observed what the statement described as the intensity of ecclesial life within the local Catholic community.
The vicariate’s mission is carried out in a multicultural context marked by Christian formation activities, attention to young people and families, and commitment to ecumenical and interreligious dialogue.
Bishop Martinelli said Cardinal Tagle “exhorted our faithful from all linguistic groups to participate together in ministries, so that they may learn to speak the same language and walk together, sharing the richness of their traditions and placing them at the service of the entire community.”
“This is how we express our ‘joyful polyphony of faith,’ as Pope Francis affirmed during his pastoral visit to the United Arab Emirates in 2019,” he added.
Among the meetings held during the visit was an encounter with the parish council of St. Mary’s Church, considered the Catholic parish with the largest territory in the world.
