Paris, 1980. During his first visit to the French capital, Pope St. John Paul II made a powerful statement—one that still resonates today.
“One cannot breathe as Christians, or rather as Catholics, with only one lung; one must have two lungs—that is, the Eastern and the Western.”
It is precisely for this reason that the Dicastery for Divine Worship has updated certain elements for the Church in Arabia. The objective is purely liturgical, but at the same time, it reinforces the union of Eastern-rite Catholics with Rome.
Although the universal Catholic Church follows a single liturgical calendar, it has an exception made for the Apostolic Administration of Southern Arabia. For them, a more personalized liturgical calendar has been developed.
This calendar names Saints Peter and Paul as patron saints, and of course, the figure of Mary could not be absent. As patroness, they will celebrate Our Lady of Arabia in January.
Additionally, more emphasis will be given to certain saints who lived in this geographical region—such as Arethas and companions, martyrs from the 6th century.
There are also more contemporary figures, such as Blessed Charles Dechkers, a missionary priest who worked to promote interreligious dialogue in Yemen. He ultimately died a martyr in Algeria. The calendar also includes several Syrian saints and martyrs.
Arabian Catholics not only live dispersed across Yemen, Oman, and the UAE, but also live immersed in predominantly Muslim countries.
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