Asia/Bahrain – Jubilee Year of St. Aretas: All dioceses celebrate the Arabian martyr
Tuesday, October 24, 2023
AB
Manama (Agenzia Fides) – A special event will mark the progress of the Catholic Christian community of the Apostolic Vicariate of North Arabia. Particularly today, October 24, all parishes of the Catholic Church of the Apostolic Vicariate of North Arabia are preparing to celebrate a Solemn Mass for the Liturgy Feast of the Martyrdom of Saint Aretas (Fides, October 2023 (see 20th).
“Tonight we celebrate the Jubilee of Saint Aretas and his fellow martyrs. Then, on November 4th, the Holy Doors of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia in Bahrain will be opened, and on November 9th in Abu Dhabi. The holy doors of the cathedral will be opened,” said the bishop. Aldo Berardi of the Order of the Holy Trinity and the Captive Fathers (O.S.S.T.) speaks to Fides about the preparations for this important event commemorating the 1500th anniversary of the martyrdom of Saint Aretha (523-2023). , along with his compatriots, were joined by about 4,000 Arab Christians from the ancient city of Najran in southern Arabia, today in Saudi Arabia.
“There are no signs or religious symbols in the churches of the Vicariate, which includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, and they are prohibited except in Bahrain,” explained Bishop Berardi, Apostolic Vicar of North Arabia. “I erected a large cross on the new cathedral to show that it is a church.” A special bus route has been set up with the inscription, Bishop Berardi added.
“The Arabian Northern Agency is made up of four countries with different realities. The so-called recognized countries, such as Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar, have churches and priests, but lack of space and require more churches. Bishop Berardi also referred to the approach to education in this context, saying, “Bahrain is the most open of the four countries, while the other three remain very restricted.” “Sacred Heart School has existed in Bahrain for many years,” he said. For 70 years, it was led by Indian Apostolic Carmelite nuns and attended by 2,000 children. Currently, this school has a huge campus. ”
The Bishop named the inauguration of the Holy Door of the Holy Family Cathedral in Kuwait as another important event for the Catholic community of the Apostolic Vicariate. “On September 29, we celebrated the inauguration of the Holy Door at the Kuwait Common Cathedral, attended by all the parishioners, who prayed and sang specially composed songs,” Bishop Berardi said. described the celebration he presided over. Along with the other priests of the vicarious ministry.
“But in Kuwait,” the bishop explained of the current setback, “there is no political stability and freedoms are increasingly restricted. Also, new conditions have been created for us, so we have many Everything is complicated. Laws are always changing and fundamentalists are on the rise. We have four parishes: the former Cathedral of the Holy Family, the former Cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia; It is a small church that has become a church, and preserves a large statue brought by the Carmelites. “This year marks the 75th anniversary of its existence. We have been looking for land for several years, but in the end, no agreement with the government was possible. But we need more churches to accommodate all the believers!”
Bishop Berardi added that there are also three schools in Kuwait. One is run by the Carmelite nuns, one by the Salesians, and one by the Lebanese Sisters of the Rosary. “They are not called Catholic schools and the Christian religion cannot be taught here. These are mixed private schools open to both Muslims and Christians. We know they are Christian schools because we wear them.” (AP) (Agenzia Fides, October 24, 2023)
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