Roughly 9.6% of Qatar’s population is Christian, the overwhelming majority of which are Filipino, Indian, and Lebanese noncitizen workers though may include some Qatari converts from Islam. Foreign missionary groups are not permitted to work in the country. Prior to the ongoing construction of Churches, Christians met in private homes and community centers for worship. Both the government and Christian leaders promote a need for discretion and friendly communication, and Christian symbols are not permitted on the exterior of church buildings.
Most Christians are Roman Catholic, followed by Protestants, Anglicans, and unaffiliated Christians. Six churches are recognized by the Qatari government: Roman Catholic, Anglican, Greek Orthodox, Syrian Orthodox, Coptic, and Indian Christian. Smaller unrecognized denominations, largely Protestant, are expected to hold services under the aegis of one of the six recognized groups.
Several churches have been built and a number of others have been approved for future construction. A Catholic church opened in March 2008, the land for which was donated directly the Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa. An Anglican Church was consecrated in September 2013 with a 15,000 seat capacity and is overseen by the Anglican Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf. A number of other churches are planned for the same complex, known as the Mesaymir Religious Complex or “Church City,” a move seen as consistent with Qatari efforts to modernize and appeal to expatriate workers. Catholic mass is offered throughout the day in the various languages of its congregants, including Arabic, English, French, Italian, Konkani, Sinhala, Tagalog, Tamil, and Urdu, while the Anglican Church is home to sixty other Evangelical, Protestant, and Pentecostal congregations.
Sources:
Matthew Davies, “Christians in Qatar celebrate formal opening of Anglican center,” Evangelical News Service, October 2, 2013, accessed November 21, 2013.
Caryle Murphy, “For the first time, Christians in Qatar worship in church,” Christian Science Monitor, February 2, 2009.
Image Credits:
"Catholic Church in Doha," Ian Quinn (2009), from Flickr Creative Commons.