DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Hymns blare from the spacious, blue-walled church. Parishioners listen to the Gospel and the homily. They kneel, eyes closed and hands folded in prayer or palms up. They line up to receive Communion as a choir sings, “Lord, for me, teach me to take one day at a time.”
In many ways, the service at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church feels like a standard Sunday Mass. But in this church in Qatar, the small Gulf emirate that hosts the World Cupthere are some adjustments.
The church is in a “religious complex” that is home to other Christian denominations. His building appears nondescript from the outside, with no crosses on its exterior. Sunday mass is also celebrated on Fridays and Saturdays, on weekends in the conservative Muslim country.
“This is something unique here in the Middle East,” said the pastor, the Rev. Rally Gonzaga. “Our Sunday is Friday.”
From masses to baptisms, weddings and confessions, the church offers a window into the religious life of expatriate Catholics in Qatar. The Mass is offered in multiple languages, including English, Arabic, Konkani, Tagalog, and Sinhala, to serve Catholics from India, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and other countries. While Qatar is unusually full of visitors now for the World Cup, migrant workers already make up the majority of the country’s population of around 3 million.
“When I was in the Philippines, I only catered to Filipinos. But here, (there are) different nationalities and then they have different cultures,” Gonzaga said. “I was able to feel the true spirit of the church, the universal church,” he said, adding that different communities learn from each other.
Non-Muslim religious groups in Qatar include Hindus, Roman Catholics and Buddhists, with smaller groups of Anglicans, Protestants, Egyptian Copts and others, according to a US State Department report on international religious freedom for 2021.
Sunni and Shia Muslims and eight Christian denominations make up the registered religious groups; Unregistered religious groups are illegal, but Qatari authorities generally allow them to practice their faith in private, the report added.
The complex known as “Church City,” located on government-owned land, provides worship space for Christian denominations, “with clear instructions from the government that Christian symbols such as crosses, bell towers, and statues were not allowed on the exterior of the church.” the church buildings. the report said. Gonzaga said not having crosses outside was out of “respect” for the country and its people.
Like other Gulf nations, Qatar has faced criticism, particularly in the run-up to the World Cup, for its use of low-paid migrant workers to build and support skyscrapers, roads and other projects amid concerns about their rights. Qatari authorities say they have taken steps to improve working conditions. Human rights groups, while giving Qatar credit for the reforms, have called for more to be done.
The needs of migrant workers who have left wives and children to work for long periods in Qatar and other Gulf countries shape much of the pastoral care provided by the Catholic Church in that region.
During a visit to Bahrain last month, Pope Francis lamented that too much work can be “dehumanizing.” and encouraged the promotion of equal rights for workers. Faithful from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and other Gulf countries filled the national stadium of Bahrain for the great mass of Francis.
The Pope delivered a similar message in 2019 in Abu Dhabi where he also called for greater access to citizenship for residents of different faiths.
Gonzaga described a religious life inside the church compound in Qatar that includes masses, Christmas celebrations and catechism classes where children are taught the basics of the faith, from prayers to the sign of the cross.
“Many people think that there is no Christian church here,” Gonzaga said in his office, surrounded by statues of the Virgin Mary, a crucifix and illustrations of the sacraments. “That’s why they are surprised when they see… that we were able to do everything we are doing inside the church compound.”
A newly erected Christmas tree just outside the church building towers over congregants waiting to take photos with it.
Another priest, the Rev. Albert, said there are some differences in celebrating Christmas here from what he was used to in India.
“There, we can go caroling in the streets and we can go door to door and we can express our joy,” he said. “But, here, it is not possible. … We respect the sentiment of another religion(s).”
Christmas carol singing and other festivities are held within the complex, he added.
Qatari law restricts public worship to non-Islamic religions and criminalizes proselytizing on behalf of an organization, society or foundation of any religion other than Islam, according to the State Department report.
Outside the compound, priests visit Christian inmates and go to hospitals to respond to requests for Communion, confessions or anointing of the sick.
“I go there wearing this,” Gonzaga said, pointing to his Franciscan habit, adding that he feels accepted and respected. “I don’t find any problem,” he said.
Some Catholics who live far from the complex would like to see a new church in a different part of the country, Gonzaga said. That might have helped Catholics like Christopher Battad. He used to work in an area that is far from the complex and he couldn’t make the trip to church regularly, which made him feel guilty.
“I just feel like something is less in my heart,” she said.
Still, he would pray, wear a rosary, and sometimes watch online services streamed from the Philippines, where he is from. Now, she lives closer to the church.
Riya Sebastian, who moved to Qatar from India, said she has been finding solace and joy in the church.
“It gives me more peace and happiness in my life,” he said. “Christmas is coming and when this happens, we must… beautify our hearts to receive our Jesus Christ.”
___
Associated Press writers Maria Grazia Murru and Thanassis Stavrakis in Doha and Nicole Winfield in Rome contributed to this report.
___
Associated Press religious coverage is supported through the AP partnership with The Conversation US, with funding from the Lilly Endowment Inc. AP is solely responsible for this content.
