Posted on 09/10/2019 5:43:55 PM PDT by marshmallow
Salalah (Agenzia Fides) - More than a thousand people took part in civil ceremonies and liturgical celebrations that took place on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 December in the Sultanate of Oman, on the occasion of the inauguration of a new Catholic church.
The place of worship is dedicated to St. Francis Xavier, patron of the missions, and is located in the city of Salalah, governorate of Dhofar. The first stone of the church was laid in February 2018, and the construction of the entire place of worship was completed in just 18 months. The church has a capacity of 600 seats, and is also equipped with a multi-purpose hall that can accommodate another 400 people.
On Saturday 7 September, the civil inauguration ceremony saw the presence, among others, of Archbishop Francisco Montecillo Padilla - who serves as Apostolic Nuncio in Yemen, Kuwait, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates and Qatar - together with Dr. Ahmed Khamis Masood Al Bahri, director of the Ministry of Religious Endowments and Religious Affairs of Oman. The event was also attended by Bishop Paul Hinder OFM Cap, along with priests, men and women religious.
In his speech, among other things, Director Ahmed Khamis Masood Al Bahri, expressed his joy for the construction of a church where priests, men and women religious, and laity can carry out their pastoral work in favor of the new generations. Archbishop Montecillo Padilla expressed the gratitude of the Catholic Church towards Sultan Qaboos Bin Said Al Said who granted all the permits for the construction of the church. The civil authorities of the country - the Nuncio underlined - showed their benevolence in meeting the spiritual expectations of the people, and also showed the world that "Oman enjoys peace because of this religious tolerance, and commitments taken on to preserve....
(Excerpt) Read more at fides.org ...
Interesting, and encouraging. In the Muslim world, have other political leaders been this accommodating to Christianity?
Count the days until it’s bombed by the “religion of peace”.
Yes. Sheikh Mo of Dubai, UAE.
In Bahrain, Syria, the Emirates and Iran they have.
WOW!! May have to revisit Oman!
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