ABOUT Bishop Paul Hinder

Bishop Paul Hinder was born in Bussnang TG, Switzerland, on 22 April 1942 to Wilhelm Hinder and Agnes Meile. 

He joined the Franciscan Capuchin Order in 1962 and was ordained a priest on 4 July 1967. After specialized studies in Canon Law in Munich and Fribourg, he obtained his Doctorate in Theology in 1976. He was active as a professor, in the formation of young Capuchins, later as provincial in Switzerland, and as General Councillor in Rome for the worldwide Capuchin Order. 

On 20 December 2003, he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Arabia and was ordained Bishop on 30 January 2004 in Abu Dhabi. On 21 March 2005, he succeeded Msgr. Bernardo Gremoli (now retired) as Vicar Apostolic of Arabia (UAE, Oman, Yemen, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia). After the Vicariate of Arabia was divided into the Northern and Southern Vicariates, Bishop Paul was appointed the shepherd of the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia (UAE, Oman, Yemen). On 1 May 2022,  the Holy Father accepted the resignation of Bishop Paul.

Since 13 May 2020, Bishop Paul has been appointed as the Administrator of the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia (Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Saudi Arabia) on the demise of Late Bishop Camillo Ballin who had been shepherding the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia during the period, 2011 - 2020.

Bishop Paul is a member of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples (presently absorbed into the Dicastery of Integral Human Development). He has also served as consultor to both the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples (for two consecutive five-year terms beginning 2009) and to the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.

“Un Vescovo In Arabia” 

Read the text of an interview with Bishop Paul Hinder on the life of the Church in the Persian Gulf.

The interview refers to his book "Un Vescovo in Arabia. La mia esperienza con l’islam" (A Bishop in Arabia: My Expereice with Islam).