Religious freedom in UAE a ‘blessing’ say Roman Catholics

Members of Couples for Christ have thanked the UAE for allowing them the opportunity to practise their religion.

Baltazar Quiambao, a member of the national council of Couples of Christ, has lived in the capital for 8 years. Mona Al Marzooqi / The National

ABU DHABI // Members of a Roman Catholic ministry welcome the policy of tolerance towards non-Muslim religious groups in the UAE.

“The UAE has been very generous and supportive and we are indeed very grateful,” said Baltazar Quiambao, 49, an auditor who has worked and lived in Abu Dhabi for eight years.

In October, St Therese Church was inaugurated by Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, with Bishop Paul Hinder. Members of the Couples for Christ provided support, advice and consultancy services on many aspects of the construction.

Mr Quiambao serves as a member of Couples for Christ’s (CFC) national council, the group’s highest governing body. He and his wife joined CFC in 1991, in the Philippines.

“Couples for Christ became a church-recognised group,” he said. “Through the years we learned to appreciate its unwavering support to couples and families.”

CFC was first established in the Philippines in 1981. It aims to bring couples closer to God, strengthen their faith and encourage them to actively participate in church life.

"We cultivate happy and healthy relationships, empowering couples and building Christ-centred marriages," said Mr Quiambao, who worships at St Joseph's Cathedral in Abu Dhabi, which has more than 100,000 expatriate Catholics from all over the world.

Narciso Zacarias, 61, an engineer in Dubai who joined CFC with his wife, Cely, 56, in December 1997, agreed.

“We became closer to God and learnt more about him when we joined the CFC community.”

The couple was required to attend a 13-week Christian life programme before joining the community.

“I believe this was the direction that we’re destined to take, and we’re glad we heeded the call to join this church community,” said Mr Zacarias, a Dubai resident for 22 years who now serves as the CFC area director.

“The UAE sees to it that we are able to practise our religion here, and we’re happy that we’ve been given this opportunity.”

The CFC is also actively supporting the community through programmes in health, education, housing, and social development. In the UAE, it supports Answering the Cry of the Poor (Ancop), a Catholic non-profit group.

The group funded the building of 30 houses in Bulan, Sorsogon, in the Philippines for people in dire need of a home.

There are now about 9,000 individual members of the CFC in the UAE, Mr Quiambao said.

Family ministries, while separate and distinct groups, are integrated into the CFC community. These include Kids for Christ, Youth for Christ, Singles for Christ, Handmaids of the Lord and Servants of the Lord.

“The UAE’s religious freedom and tolerance is such a blessing for us,” said Lorelie Hernandez, 40, a medical transcriptionist in Dubai since 2006.

She is a member of Handmaids of the Lord, a support ministry recognised by the Vatican for single parents, widows, separated or divorced women, or married women whose husbands are based in another country.

“We thank the benevolent rulers of this country, and fervently pray that they will be blessed more,” Ms Hernandez said.