Bishop Aldo Berardi, Apostolic Vicar of Northern Arabia, celebrated Mass in Awari, Bahrain, opening the Holy Door for the Jubilee Year, which marks the 1,500th anniversary of the martyrdom of Saint Aretha and her companions.
From Vatican News
One of the two Holy Doors is opened during Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia in Awali, Bahrain, as the Church in the Arabian Peninsula marks the 1,500th Jubilee of the Arabian Martyrs (523-2023). .
Bishop Aldo Berardi, Apostolic Vicar of Northern Arabia, presided over the opening of the Holy Door and celebrated Mass.
Archbishop Eugene Martin Nugent, Apostolic Nuncio to Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar, delivered the homily.
He conveyed Pope Francis’ greetings and prayerful support for Catholics in the Arabian Peninsula.
Jubilee is “a time of spiritual rebirth”
In his homily, Archbishop Nugent expressed his hope that this Jubilee will be a time of grace and spiritual renewal for the Catholic community.
He acknowledged the challenges of being a Christian in modern times, noting that many Christians are persecuted in different parts of the world.
Following the example of Saint Aretas, who was killed along with 4,000 other believers during an anti-Christian persecution in Najran in 523 AD in the pre-Islamic period of Arabia, the apostolic legate daily testified to the proclaimed gospel of love. He encouraged Christians to do so. By Christ.
Inspiration from the past
Speaking at the Mass, Bishop Berardi called on Catholics throughout the region to follow the example of faith, courage and perseverance of the martyrs who gave their lives for the love of Christ.
“The martyrs continued to defend their Christian faith despite ridicule, persecution and threats,” he said. “They held fast to their faith. Looking back on the past gives us inspiration. Life in the past was not as easy as it is today.”
Bishop Berardi called the timeless faith “a lighthouse in the storm, a light in the darkness.”
Faith, he added, “is a way of life and a light for those who look to Christ and follow Him.”
He reminded Catholics of the Arabian Peninsula that their words and actions, weaknesses and strengths, bear witness to Christ in the same love that animated the martyrs 1,500 years ago. I was allowed to.
“It is up to us to stand up and bear witness to Christ with an honest and consistent life, a life given for love, a commitment to what is good and beautiful, to brotherly love, and to peace, justice, and tolerance.” ” he said. .
Two holy doors for two apostolic representatives
The faithful of the Apostolic Vicariate of South Arabia will celebrate the opening of their Holy Doors on November 9th at 6pm local time.
Bishop Paolo Martinelli, Apostolic Bishop of South Arabia, will preside at Mass and open the Holy Door at St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Pope Francis visited the cathedral during his apostolic trip to the UAE in February 2019.
The Pope granted indulgences to all believers who will make the pilgrimage and enter either of the two holy doors before the end of the Jubilee Year on October 23, 2024.