Qatar’s St. Charbel Maronite Church prepares to welcome worshippers

Ongoing construction work on St. Charbel Maronite Church in Doha, Qatar, in April 2024. / Credit: Father Charbel Mhanna

ACI MENA, May 10, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Construction is nearing completion on the St. Charbel Maronite Church in Doha, Qatar, with plans to open its doors to worshippers in 2025, coinciding with the Catholic Church’s Jubilee Year, according to Father Charbel Mhanna from Qatar’s Maronite parish.

In an interview with ACI Mena, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner, Mhanna explained that with a capacity of about 3,000 people, St. Charbel will be the country’s largest church, open to all Catholics. Once completed, it will be Qatar’s second Catholic church, joining the existing Church of Our Lady of the Rosary. 

While precise statistics on the Christian population in Qatar are lacking, Mhanna estimates there are close to 1 million Christians there, of which about 70% are Catholic. Approximately 12,000 belong to the Maronite rite, which is in full communion with the pope.

Religious tolerance lauded

Regarding religious freedom in Qatar, Mhanna expressed his appreciation for the country’s open policy toward building churches and commended its pioneering role in promoting religious tolerance and acceptance.

“All Catholic and non-Catholic churches practice their faith in the religious complex,” he said. “We, as Maronites, practice all our rituals with complete freedom within the religious complex, to avoid any problems.”

Mhanna noted that before holding any liturgies or events, the church must obtain permission from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which oversees both churches and embassies, with a dedicated office for that purpose.

“We make it a priority to participate regularly in the annual interfaith dialogue conference organized by the Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue,” Mhanna said. “Representatives from all religions and denominations present in Qatar take part.”

State support and community contributions

While the Qatari government provides land for church construction, as was the case with the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary built on a plot donated by the former emir in 2006, the faithful and generous donors finance the actual construction costs. 

“This is how the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary was built,” Mhanna explained. “The former emir of the country, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, donated the land in 2006. The church was inaugurated in 2008.”

Mhanna highlighted the diversity within the community in Qatar, noting that “all the faithful from the Eastern churches participate in our Masses and activities.”

Mhanna said the community relies on donations from the faithful and looks forward to celebrating the consecration of St. Charbel Church’s altar next year during the Church’s Jubilee Year, as well as the launch of catechism classes and many other activities.

This article was originally published by ACI Mena, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner, and has been translated and adapted by CNA.