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Appointment of the Apostolic Administrator

Vicariate of Northern Arabia

On May 13, 2020 Pope Francis appointed His Excellency, Bishop Paul Hinder OFMCap, Apostolic Administrator of the Vicariate of Northern Arabia following the death of Bishop Camillo Ballin, Apostolic Vicar of Northern Arabia. The Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia includes the following countries: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait.

Bishop Hinder is titular bishop of Macon, and is currently the Apostolic Vicar for Southern Arabia which includes: Yemen, Oman and United Arab Emirates.

Bishop Paul Hinder

Bishop Hinder was born in Bussnang, Switzerland on April 22, 1942. He entered the Order of Capuchin Friars Minor in 1962 and was ordained a priest on July 4, 1967. After specializing in canon law in Munich and Friborg, he received his doctorate in Theology in 1976. He has held various positions, such as professor, formation director, Provincial Minister of the Province of Switzerland and General Councilor of the Capuchin Order.

On December 12, 2003, Pope John Paul II appointed him auxiliary bishop of the Apostolic Vicariate of Arabia. He received his episcopal ordination the following January 30 at Saint Joseph Cathedral in Abu Dhabi. On March 21, 2005, Archbishop Bernardo Gremoli took over as Apostolic Vicar of Arabia (United Arab Emirates, Oman, Yemen, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia).

On May 31, 2011, the Vicariate took its current name under the Bonum animarum decree of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. With this provision, the Apostolic Vicariate ceded jurisdiction over Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain to the Apostolic Vicariate of Kuwait, which simultaneously took on the new title of Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia. After the Vicariate of Arabia was divided into the Northern and Southern Vicariates, Bishop Paul continued to lead the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia (United Arab Emirates, Oman, Yemen).

He is a member of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People.

He is a consultor to the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples and to the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.

Decree of appontment

Last modified on Tuesday, 09 June 2020 08:37
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