Asia/Bahrain – Between persecution and “salvation”: The apostolic vicar of Northern Arabia narrates the history of the Trinity
Tuesday, November 7, 2023
Manama (Agenzia Fides) – “I was the first Trinitarian to arrive in Bahrain. Only after me did others come and establish a community,” said the Vicar of the Most Divine Trinity in northern Arabia. said Aldo Berardi, the order’s first bishop. and Prisoners of the Gulf (O.S.T.). Last Saturday, November 4, the Bishop celebrated a solemn Mass to commemorate the opening of the Holy Doors of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia in Awari, on the occasion of the Jubilee Year called to celebrate the 1500th anniversary of the martyrdom of Saint Aretas and the Saints. . Martyrs (see Fidesz, October 20, 2023). “As Trinitarians, we stand between the monasticism and the apostolate of the world. We look back on our long tradition,” he stressed in an interview with Fidesz. A great difficulty that we often encounter. ”
Known as the Knights of the Trinity Fathers, they are defined as “saviors” for their unique charisma of rescuing kidnapped or enslaved Christian prisoners. They were the first religious family to undertake this unique mission. They were followed by Mercedalien, founded in Spain. “A very famous person rescued by the Trinitarians is the Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes,” Bishop Berardi says. After his release, he wrote Don Quixote. His remains are in the San Ildefonso and San Juan de Maza monasteries of the Trinity in Madrid. At that time, the convent was a boarding house for the Sisters of the Trinity. Other Apostolic Women’s congregations were subsequently established and are still very active today. ”
In the long history of the Order, the Church Fathers had to overcome many hardships over the centuries, were exiled from many countries, and eventually had to start over. “After Vatican II, there was a sociopolitical study of the situation within the order and a return to the concept of ‘salvation’ as applied to modern-day slavery. , it was a path from something very practical, to something more spiritual, and then to being practical again, and ultimately helping persecuted Christian communities maintain their faith. We return to our original charisma that calls us to
Bishop Berardi entered a French seminary at the age of 16, but “it was already a little late because my parents did not want me to enroll.” After studying at the Seminary of Villers-les-Nancy in the diocese of Metz, he opted for two years of community service instead of military service and went to Madagascar, where he met Spanish Trinitarians involved in the missionary work of the Diocese of Chiloano Mandidi. Ta. They witnessed the dedication of the missionaries in their daily lives. They went out to help the local population and then left all the work they had started with them and went to other remote areas where they were more needed. I especially liked this spirit. ” Returning to France, Berardi entered the novitiate, then continued his theological studies and formation in Canada and Rome, and was sent to Sudan and Egypt. “From there,” Bishop Berardi recalls today, “we went from there. With the help of Comboni missionaries, he helps Christians in Sudan, saves children, opens schools for orphans, and participates as much as possible. After spending 8 years in Egypt, I came to the Arabian Agency, as it was called then, and stayed there for a long time until I got a permanent residence visa. ” The intention of the Trinitarians was to live and work in the Gulf communities. “I worked there for 10 years and then was elected a member of the General Leadership. Unfortunately, after years of pandemic, everything stopped due to COVID-19” Bishop Apostle said.
“Currently, the Trinity has a training center in Vietnam, a sisterhood in China, and recently a presence in Morocco,” he asserts. Young members of the Order are preparing to go to Nigeria. In Morocco, Bishop Berardi, together with other members of the Order of the Trinity from around the world, participated in a conference held in April to follow in the footsteps of the former “saviors” (Fides, April 2023) (see 20th). He went to North Africa to retrieve Christian slaves who had been oppressed by their Muslim masters. “It was a very beautiful experience,” Bishop says. “More than 100 believers followed the footsteps of the Saviors who arrived in Morocco in the past centuries as far as Meknes. We have a report on all the freed slaves.”
The Order of the Holy Trinity was founded by Saint Juan de Mata in 1994 in Selfroid, near Paris, to free Christian prisoners of war (captivity at the hands of Muslims). Felix of Valois is thought to be the co-founder of this cult. Pope Innocent III approved the regulations of the Order of the Holy Trinity and the Captives (Ordo Sanctae Trinitatis et captivorum) (AP) (Agenzia Fides, July 11, 2023)
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