“Please delete this video,” demanded a policeman just outside the entrance to a Catholic church in Doha. He saw that I was recording the material, but he did not notice the accreditation. He didn’t know I was a journalist, and I didn’t know I was standing in front of a well camouflaged police station. In Qatar, recording of such places is prohibited. – This is also to be removed! Oh, that too, he added, looking at more files. He looked menacing, he called five colleagues and they all checked my Hayya card, which is a kind of visa here during the World Cup. A moment later, seven policemen were standing by me, and their superior arrived. They asked where I was from and why I came. “I’d like to go to a Catholic church,” I replied. – Okay, don’t worry. It’s for security reasons. We have to check everything – the most important of the officers calmed me down only after a while.
There was nothing exceptional, much less a security threat, on the recordings: the parking lot, the barrier, the wall and the entrance to the religious complex. I didn’t even manage to record the barbed wire, subsequent police stations and security. Maybe thanks to this I was able to go inside first, and then to the church of Our Lady of the Rosary, which, together with churches of other Christian denominations, is located in the religious complex in Abu Hamour. It is the first church in Qatar built since the Muslim conquests in the 7th century. It was dedicated in 2008, cost 20 million dollars, and the land for its construction was donated by the Emir of Qatar – Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. And what does its interior look like? See for yourself:
Christmas from Poland in a Cathar church
It’s modest inside. I find in it everything that is found in Catholic churches in other countries. There is an altar, there is a tabernacle, there is a pulpit, there are pews, kneelers and a chapel for children. The only novelty is air conditioning. I had never met her in any other church before, in Qatar she is everywhere. The church is empty, or so it seems to me. It took me a few minutes to notice three volunteers putting up Christmas decorations in the choir. Two are from India, one is from the Philippines. When they find out that I came from Poland, they almost immediately remember St. John Paul II. Anyway, there are more Polish threads in the church in Doha. At one of the entrances hangs a painting of St. Faustina Kowalska, and on the opposite side the image of the Divine Mercy.
Image of St. Faustina Kowalska in the church in Doha Dominik Wardzichowski
Mass for Poles during the World Cup
Interestingly, there is no cross or any other Christian symbols on the church. The law in Qatar forbids them outside. There is also no belfry and bells. There is already a cross in the middle, and more than one. There are also figures and paintings with images of saints. Feel the atmosphere of the approaching Christmas. In front of the entrance to the church there is a crib, still without baby Jesus, without Mary and Joseph, but with shepherds, kings and animals. On the other side is a Christmas tree with huge presents underneath.
Nativity scene in front of a church in Doha Dominik Wardzichowski
A holy mass for the Polish delegation was celebrated in the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary in Doha during the World Cup. It was conducted by Father Jerzy Kostorz, chairman of the Ethics Committee of the Polish Football Association. There were no players, but there were a few people from the staff. There was also Cezary Kulesza, president of the Polish Football Association.
According to unofficial data, there are about 200,000 in Qatar. Catholics, mostly workers from the Philippines, India, South America, Africa, Lebanon and Europe.
Source: Sport
Tristin is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.
