Father Aldo Berardi, named Vicar of the North on January 28, confessed to his “surprise” for the appointment, together with the “awareness” of acting in a territory that he knows. The years of his mission in Bahrain and his visits to the region. Respect for Christian rites, cultures and traditions. The recent apostolic journey of Pope Francis was a “historic” occasion to bring together the faithful from the entire vicariate.
Rome () – The Arabian Vicariate is a “melting pot”, a region made of “different realities” in which the challenge is to ensure “the unity of the Church” and, at the same time, enhance “the beauty of this diversity ” which constitutes “a grace”. With a gesture of “surprise”, but at the same time of “obedience” and “awareness” of acting in an area he already knows, the recently appointed Vicar Apostolic of North Arabia, Fr. Aldo Berardi, prepares to live The mission. In this interview given to , the priest of the Order of the Holy Trinity and of Slaves, of which until now he had been vicar general, recounts his “astonishment” at the official appointment on January 28 and the coming weeks of preparation. The date of his episcopal ordination and his departure for the region – for the moment he is in Rome – have yet to be decided, because “Easter and Ramadan come together: an opportune moment must be found”.
The ‘challenge’ of diversity
As the Church of North Arabia, “we must be guarantors of unity” respecting “the different rites, cultures and traditions” of the different communities. “Ours is a fragile beauty that allows us to learn, as I did during my years in Bahrain, about liturgy, customs,” she underlines. Thinking of the Gulf, the reference to the mosques, to the holy places of Islam (Mecca and Medina) is inevitable, but “we also rediscovered a Christianity of bygone eras, with bishops, monasteries and churches thanks to the historical and archaeological investigations that paid off in recent years. Before Islam was imposed, there were “two bishops in Bahrain and one in Saudi Arabia”, valuable testimonies that it is important that “our Muslim friends also know”.
The Apostolic Vicariate of North Arabia extends its jurisdiction over four States of the Peninsula, which present different situations in terms of social, political, Christian presence and religious freedom: Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia; the latter, a nation in which no place of worship other than Islam is allowed. In 2020, when the last vicar, Monsignor Camillo Ballin (who was succeeded as administrator by Monsignor Paul Hinder, formerly Vicar of South Arabia), died, there were almost 2.8 million baptized out of a population of some 43 million. The territory is divided into 11 parishes and the headquarters are in Bahrain (a country that recently received Pope Francis), in Awali, where the Cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia is located.
“One of the challenges of the mission”, says Fr. Berardi, “is to find our own way of being Catholic without feeling isolated. To become a true vicariate, taking into account the social and economic reality. Catholics are a minority, but they must know how to value the works, starting with the theme of charity” in a region in which “the migration issue” is on the rise, as was revealed during the World Cup in Qatar. “There are several parishes”, he stresses, “that work in the social field, but we must further develop the sector. But without engaging in geopolitics, the Church must not limit itself to providing food, but rather reflect on the multiple fields of action, respecting the be guests and foreigners. Understand the limits and find new ways of acting, in the same way that we must find a balance between local reality and social justice. These are reflections that will be made with the clergy” to respond to the mission of social doctrine of the Church “in a world that is constantly changing: attention to the fragile, danger of new conflicts, pray -much- for peace and tolerance”.
Roots in Arab land
The recently appointed Vicar Apostolic of North Arabia was born on September 30, 1963 in Longeville-les-Metz (France). After completing the first cycle of Philosophy studies at the Grand Séminaire in Villers-lès-Nancy and, after a missionary experience in Madagascar, he entered the Order of the Holy Trinity and of Slaves in Cerfroid (France). He completed the second cycle of Theology studies at the Grand Seminaire in Montreal, Québéc (Canada) and obtained a Licentiate in Moral Theology at the Alphonsian Academy in Rome. He collaborated with Caritas, worked in a psychiatric prison with specific training in mental health, and then studied Arabic and Islam at the Dar Comboni school in Cairo (Egypt). In 2007 he had his first experience of it in Arabian land in the parish of the Sacred Heart of Bahrain; from 2011 to 2019 he was parish priest of Saint Arethas et Compagnons Martyrs in the Apostolic Vicariate of the North, and later the position of vicar general of the Order of the Holy Trinity and of Slaves.
As can be seen from his personal history, the recently appointed vicar has firm roots in Arabia, a region in which he has worked for a long time, although his appointment in a land until now “under the pastoral guidance of the Capuchins” is not surprising. However, the order to which they belong invites them to go to the peripheries, to redeem and free the ‘captives’ according to the Latin etymology [los prisioneros, ndr] and that’s why I accepted”. In the past, he was stationed in Bahrain, but he knows the whole region well, having made several trips. There is also the case of Saudi Arabia “where, despite the fact that the only allowed and recognized religion is Islam , a million Christians live for work reasons”. A community that must be followed carefully and discreetly, a difficult and often hidden reality that deserves to be recognized. A million people who pray in private, who cultivate their faith in family and feed it thanks to the internet and social networks “With Covid-19, the world and the Church discovered the potential of the Internet and social networks for mission, and also for prayer”, recalls Fr. Berardi, “But this approach has been active in Saudi Arabia for some time. In these 15 years, the reality has changed, the country wants to open up to tourism and economic activities, attract foreigners to invest, so it must also rethink its integration”. In the past, migrants, including Christians, they moved to the Wahhabi kingdom for the time necessary to work and then left, while today it is the Riyadh authorities themselves who are looking for a way for them to stay, to attract human and non-human capital. “That’s why we need places to meet and celebrate, especially Christmas and Easter, and in this perspective the push that comes from young people for innovation and change is important”. Think of Valentine’s Day, which today is celebrated with flowers and chocolates, while until a few years ago one was even arrested for wearing red clothes. The religious police were attentive and vigilant, whereas now we see hearts in department stores.”
The Pope, an element of unity
In such a diverse reality, the Pope represents an element of unity and encounter, as became clear during Francis’ recent apostolic trip to Bahrain and, earlier, in 2019, to the United Arab Emirates. “The authorities of Manama – he explains – are open and willing to dialogue, also because here, something rare, there are Christians who are citizens of Bahrain and there is a local Church that, little by little, is growing. The Pope’s visit was a blessing and opened up new avenues for dialogue, mutual understanding and tolerance”. His presence made it possible to reconsider intercultural relations not only with the leaders, but also at the level of the population, which “in general was open and welcoming.” “We have already taken the first steps”, he continued, “and now we must reap the fruits for all the nations in the area. The visit was also a rare, if not unique, occasion to bring together all the faithful of the vicariate, to bring together people from different countries, a precious moment of unity and meeting, especially for young people. A historic moment”, he concludes, “that it is up to us as a Church to strengthen and promote in the future”. Seek opportunities for meetings between our realities, not only on the occasion of major events abroad, such as the World Youth Days, but also with local initiatives. Finally, promote pilgrimages at the vicariate level to Lourdes, to Fatima, since it is easier to do it individually in Jerusalem.
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