in the cathedral are the masterpiece of Kiko Arguello. It was inaugurated on the morning of Thursday, 9 December 2021, in Bahrain. The ceremony was attended by Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa, who represented the King of Bahrain, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. Also in attendance were Msgr. Paul Hinder, the Apostolic Administrator of Northern Arabia, Msgr. Eugene Nugent, the Apostolic Nuncio in Bahrain and Kuwait and, Qatar and Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. The next day, on Friday, 10 December 2021, Cardinal Tagle presided over the liturgy for the consecration of the place of worship along with Msgr. Eugene Nugent and Msgr. Paul Hinder. Papal visit On 4 November 2022, Pope Francis made a historic visit to the Cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia in Bahrain. During his visit, the Pope expressed his gratitude to the people of Bahrain for their care for the country's Catholic community. He also addressed the issue of unity in diversity within the Christian community and emphasized the importance of praise and worship in bringing Christians together. The Pope's visit to the Cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia was significant for several reasons. It was the first time a Pope had visited Bahrain. The visit also served as a symbol of the Catholic Church's commitment to interfaith dialogue and its desire to promote greater unity within the Christian community. Controversies The planned construction of the largest Roman Catholic church in the Gulf was intended to demonstrate Bahrain's traditions of religious tolerance in a region where churches face significant limitations. However, it has become another point of tension in a country already divided Muslim communities. Hardline clerics have opposed the construction of the church complex. Over 70 clerics signed a petition stating that building churches in the Arabian Peninsula was forbidden. The government ordered the transfer of a prominent cleric, Sheikh Adel Hassan al-Hamad, out of his mosque in response to his opposition, but protests by his supporters forced the government to cancel the order. More than 50 people have died and hundreds have been detained in nearly 19 months of unrest in the country. The Vatican plans to carve out a new apostolic district covering Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. The new administrative headquarters are expected to shift from Kuwait to Bahrain. Bahrain has a unique tradition of tolerance among different religions, sects,