However, the sovereign Sultan has been very good to the Catholics considering the intolerance in many other Muslim countries. He even bought the Church a nice pipe organ.
These are countries that are quite rich due to oil and trade. Both are just a short boat ride from Iran. Oman was simply a desert forty years ago and now it has sprung into a modern country. There are a few Catholic parishes but they are strictly monitored and under the control of the Muslims.
The day I walked over 8 miles along the coast into the old city was a holiday. The traffic was low and many families were out picnicking.
I gave four talks at the Catholic Church in Muscat to packed audiences with standing room only. I was thoroughly impressed with the excited and eager Catholics.
I started out from my hotel and walked ten miles to the tallest building in the world – the Burj Khalista. It is over a half mile tall. We went back the next day to take the world’s fastest elevator to the top. It is an amazing city and I got a lot of pictures and videos of the sites, the people and the glitzy buildings.
The parish where I spoke is hidden behind compound walls but it is the largest parish in the world with OVER 250,000 PEOPLE!
Both are interactive maps with videos and pictures. Enjoy!