From political issues to the Jubilee, Bishop Berardi spoke with on the Church and the societies of the Gulf. The rise of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham in Syria (with the overthrow of Assad) and the presidential election in Lebanon mark a point in Riyadh’s favor, in a context of Iranian weakness. The “ambiguities” about the Palestinian “martyrs.” Christians witnesses of hope, contribution to the development of societies.
Milan () – “Wait and see. Wait and see.” The Gulf leadership, like the Western foreign ministries, is “wondering” what measures will be taken by the new government in Damascus controlled by the militants of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham – formerly affiliated with the al-Nusra front ( ex al-Qaeda) – and by its leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, in a climate of “expectation”, he explains to the apostolic vicar of North Arabia, Mons. Aldo Berardi, priest of the Order of the Holy Trinity and Slaves, of which he was vicar general. The rise, as sudden as it was unexpected, was capable of overthrowing the decade-old Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad. “Without a doubt Saudi Arabia – continues the prelate – is one of the first to support this new direction, and it is the one that seems to emerge with the greatest strength” in an uncertain panorama. And he also states that “the election of Joseph Aoun as president of Lebanon” has been another success.
A region in suspense
“The events in Syria cannot be separated from what is happening in Israel, Gaza and Lebanon. Everything is related, from the shock caused by the Hamas attack to the tremendous response” of the Jewish State, which is “exaggerated and unacceptable” for the population that “suffers from this conflict.” “Assad’s fall – he explains – has been perceived as a positive factor” by the Gulf monarchies, because it meant a new defeat for an Iran already beaten and weakened by its allies in the region, from Hamas to the Lebanese Hezbollah, passing through the Houthis in Yemen. It is necessary to take into account the difference between Sunnis and Shiites, who in countries like Bahrain represent the majority. One of the last fronts is the Lebanese, which only in recent days has overcome the political and institutional crisis that it had been dragging on for more than two years. , and has resolved the presidential vacancy “satisfactorily,” with the election of the army commander. “A country without a head of state for a long time, attacked by Israel, which has occupied the south and destroyed villages and churches,” in what even Gulf Christians have perceived as “a disproportionate aggression.”
Then there is the chapter regarding Hezbollah, the pro-Iran movement whose weakening has been welcomed by broad sectors of society. “The weakness of Hezbollah – reflects the vicar of Arabia – means the weakness of Iran and, in a certain way, has made it possible to unblock” the Lebanese stagnation. These are events that are difficult to frame, especially due to the divisions between a society – or a sector of the population – that defends the Palestinians, and leaders who “try to act as moderates” by safeguarding, above all, relations with Israel, especially at an economic level. . If the Jewish State “continues attacking the Strip and suffocating the local population,” says the prelate, it will be difficult to establish full relations at the expense of ‘the Palestinian martyrs,’ as they are called.” At the same time, he adds, it is necessary to point out an attitude of “ambiguity”, because people talk about the drama in Gaza, but nothing is done at the political and diplomatic level to address the issue, leaving them to continue being martyred in practice. Saudi Arabia does not want them, Egypt has closed its border, Jordan already has many, like Lebanon, and Syria cannot be taken into consideration either.”
Riyadh, Tehran and the dialogue fronts
One of the elements of greatest interest is the one that links Riyadh with Tehran, which in recent times had recorded a recovery in relations after years of strong tensions derived from the attack in 2016 on the Saudi consulate in Iran in response to the execution of the leader. Shiite Nimr al-Nimr. The controversy had regional repercussions, such as the isolation of Qatar (interrupted in early 2021) because it was considered too close to the Islamic Republic. “In this case too we have to wait – observes the 61-year-old apostolic vicar – because it is too early to perceive the balances and changes. There is a weaker Iran, with internal problems and without the support of Iraq, and at the same time that “cordon” around Saudi Arabia formed by Hezbollah, the Houthis, the Shiites of Bahrain and Assad’s Syria has disappeared. Today the common “enemy”, at least in theory, is Israel, in nominal defense of the Palestinians, but an attempt to exploit “the current Iranian weakness to take a position” cannot be ruled out. As a backdrop, there is the return to the White House of the American president (elect) Donald Trump, affirms the vicar, who “will surely come [y pronto] to the area, as he did in the past to recover relations with Riyadh after the years of crisis with his predecessor Barack Obama.”
Dialogue is a front that not only concerns politics, but is also of great importance on a religious level, for Catholics and Christians in general, in a territory with an enormous Muslim majority. “In the north we do not have the Abrahamic House (of Abu Dhabi), but in Bahrain the issue of dialogue between religions has been present for a long time and is promoted by the monarch himself, who wrote a text on coexistence.” The kingdom has been an example of coexistence for centuries, he observes, and even “the first Hindu temple is 200 years old. The first church was built 75 years ago, then there is a Buddhist temple, a Sikh temple and several Protestant and Orthodox places of worship, which confirms the space given to other religions. “The reality is different in Qatar, where the level” is more formal” and although a center for dialogue has been created, “it only concerns Christians, Muslims and Jews”, while in Kuwait “there are no official realities”, although there are non-public activities and initiatives.
The future of the vicariate
The vicariate extends its jurisdiction over four States of the Peninsula, with different situations at the social, political and religious freedom levels. Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, a country, the latter, in which no other cult than Islam is allowed, but where there is – although not publicly – a Catholic presence. In 2020, when the last vicar, Bishop Camillo Ballin, died, who was succeeded as administrator by Bishop Paul Hinder, former vicar of South Arabia, there were almost 2.8 million baptized people out of a total of approximately 43 million inhabitants. The territory is divided into 11 parishes, the headquarters is in Bahrain, in Awali, where the cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia is located. It is a reality composed mostly of economic migrants from Asia, especially India, and from different rites such as the Syro-Malabar rites to which Pope Francis granted jurisdiction over all his faithful who are working in the East. Half. In these two years, Bishop Berardi has visited all the parishes “to understand the needs and requirements” of each one, and “now I have a more detailed vision of what is needed.”
The priorities, he explains, will be developed from three fundamental points: the administrative part, which includes the relationship with the States and the legal nature, because there are still “ambiguities about our presence”; then, at the level of the Church, free ourselves from “devotionism” to strengthen the aspect of formation, relaunch the catechism, and the ministry of the laity with the contribution of those responsible “at the level of the vicariate, no longer in individual countries”; Finally, to deepen and value the history of the local Church, both old and new, with a “more efficient and effective” presence, being able to count on experiences and initiatives promoted within the framework of the Jubilee of Sant’Areta, a moment of communion. and meeting between the two vicariates of Arabia. “The Jubilee of Hope is in continuity”, and reinforces “the communion with the universal Church. We must be – he concludes – witnesses of hope, accompany the societies of different countries and promote spiritual development, after having contributed to economic development. Relaunch the challenge of evangelization not with words, but with our lives and our works. And that of unity, despite the different rites and languages, with the bishop, who has a central role, always attentive to the needs of all communities.”
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