Bishop Berardi: Among the hardest hit by the war, life for Gulf Christians is precarious, full of concerns
The vicar of Arabia spoke to AsiaNews about the uncertainty and fragility caused by the war between Israel (and the United States) and Iran. In the migrant community, their presence is seen as short-term. Setting roots and a stable presence are hard to do. While the truce had given rise to the illusion of a possible return to "normalcy”, Bahrain and Kuwait have been hit again in recent days in new attacks.
Milan (AsiaNews) – Christians who live in the Arabian Peninsula, mostly migrants from Asia, are feeling a sense of "precariousness" combined with "concern" over an “uncertain” future; for this reason, they view their current presence in the region as a sort of "passage" to new lands, this according to Bishop Aldo Berardi, who serves as the Apostolic Vicar of Northern Arabia, speaking to AsiaNews.
A member of the Order of the Most Holy Trinity and of the Captives, the prelate has been in charge for more than three years of a complex and diverse territory, which is paying the price of war more than others.
This difficulty in planting roots and connecting with the country of migration has become increasingly evident in recent months, marked by the war launched by Israel and the United States against Iran.
Despite a fragile truce, the winds of war have blown forcefully in recent days, with attacks against Kuwait and Bahrain, the beating heart of the northern vicariate.
Uncertainty and fragility
We reached him by phone during one of his trips between Gulf countries. In the coming days, he is scheduled to return to Bahrain, where the vicariate is based, followed by a trip to Kuwait to visit his last parish.
“We are doing well,” he said, “even though every now and then we hear the sound of bombs, sirens, or alert messages broadcast on cell phones in case of attacks."
Since January, “I have been engaged in pastoral visits, also to encourage the faithful" in the face of the tragedy of the war and the upheavals that are causing bloodshed in the region.
“I have travelled extensively by car in recent weeks,” the prelate explained, “and I have recently resumed flying, but the recent attack on Kuwait's international airport has brought up the issue of security again."
The northern vicariate covers four countries in the peninsula – Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. Each has a different situation in terms of social, political, and religious freedom. In the latter, no religion other than Islam is allowed despite a substantial Catholic presence.
In 2020, out of a population of 43 million, about 2.8 million were Catholic. That year, the apostolic vicar, Bishop Camillo Ballin, passed away, replaced as administrator by Bishop Paul Hinder, former vicar of the Southern Arabia. The area is divided into 11 parishes, with headquarters in Awali, Bahrain, where the Cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia is located.
"The war," the vicar said, "has disrupted everyone's lives. Many people have lost their jobs, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has blocked goods and merchandise, companies are closing because they're unable to operate, unable to pay salaries, forcing workers to return to their countries of origin without knowing whether they'll be able to return."
Some governments "have extended visas in the hope of maintaining a presence, but those who lose their jobs and aren't paid return home."
The first to flee, in the initial stages of the war at the end of February, were "Europeans and Americans.
Some, especially from Asia, are trying to return to the Gulf, but many families are struggling and are considering whether to do so, because there is widespread fear that the ceasefire could collapse," as has happened a few days ago with attacks between Israel and Iran.
“We live in extremely fragile conditions, especially in Kuwait and Bahrain, which have been hit again, fuelling further instability.”
Daily life is punctuated by sirens and alarms relayed by cell phones, a condition that, according to Bishop Berardi, is a source of "tiredness and fatigue, especially in children who are sleepless, afraid, and find their daily lives turned upside down, from school to catechism."
The summer holidays are about to begin, but this year has been decidedly troubled, even from an educational perspective.”
Economic and social crises
“Bahrain has suffered greatly; economically, it has suffered severe repercussions from the conflict and the Hormuz blockade,” the bishop said, while Saudi Arabia is showing signs of recovery because it can use an oil pipeline that bypasses the strait and has access to the Red Sea.
The losses are “managed,” he emphasised, “but many projects, even the largest ones, are being put on hold due to financial constraints.
Kuwait has suffered heavy attacks, with the closure of its port and airport, which was also recently hit, resulting in deaths and several injuries.
In many areas, the prelate warns, "people feel trapped and without a way to escape."
Recently, the partial truce had given the illusion of a possible return "to normalcy;” in fact, “parish life had also resumed regularly, and we were able to celebrate the Holy Week rites."
The uncertainty, warns Bishop Berardi, is also linked to the fact that it is impossible to predict when or where the raids and threats will come from.
"A few days ago," he noted, "a drone crashed, part of an attack launched by (armed) Shia groups from Iraqi territory. There's not much information, there are official sources, but with last week's escalation, we've once again fallen into a situation of uncertainty, and we're wondering what might happen next.”
Regarding the ongoing negotiations, starting with those between the United States and Iran, the feeling is one of "great pessimism, because they can't reach an agreement, and widespread fears fuel uncertainty.”
The resumption of the conflict has further tightened the grip of governments, which tend to repress any form of dissent by tightening controls, while also cultivating relationships and ties with the Christian community, as confirmed by the vicar's meetings with local leaders.
Examples of this include the visit of the crown prince of Bahrain to the cathedral and the greetings to the Emir of Qatar during the recent Islamic holidays.
At a time of profound crisis in the Muslim world, exacerbated by the conflict between Shia Iran and the Sunni monarchies and emirates in the Gulf, the prelate calls the recently concluded Hajj, the major pilgrimage to Makkah, a “success”.
"In the past, there have been incidents, problems, and cases of corruption," he says, "but this year, despite the war, it took place regularly," thanks in part to the permit and visa system developed by Saudi authorities.
Faith beyond fear
For the Vicariate of Arabia and the Church of the Gulf, the challenge today is to rediscover the meaning of a mission capable of overcoming uncertainty, instability, war, economic problems, and migration.
"This is a reflection that communities must make,” Bishop Berardi said, “and one of the themes of the pastoral visits,” he made, “in recent weeks to the various areas of the vicariate."
Missiles and drones have not undermined the faith, as evidenced by the thousands of communions, baptisms, confirmations, and conversions from other faiths (with the exception of Islam).
Each country is "different" and presents "different peculiarities," but this "does not preclude synodal participation" in research and the sense of mission in parishes and communities with languages, cultures, and rites that are even distant from each other, with the risk of "dispersion”.
"The faithful are afraid, but they still come to church, to the parishes, as happened during Easter, with places of worship packed and Masses celebrated even in the middle of the night, with obvious problems in ensuring security and safety."
Finally, the vicar of Arabia notes the importance of Pope Leo XIV's calls to pray for peace and his support for Middle Eastern Christians, even though there is a tendency to focus "only" on the Holy Land and "Eastern Christians”, forgetting the other three million in the region.
"I myself insisted that the basilica in Kuwait and the cathedral in Bahrain be linked to the prayer" led by the pontiff, to show that "we are present and participating."
However, an unresolved question remains regarding "the meaning of our vocation here, that of being a temporary presence with an uncertain future, although our numbers remain considerable compared to a resident population that changes every five or six years."
"It's a transit point, for people seeking to migrate to other nations where there is greater stability, where a future is possible for their children and families,” he noted.
“The makeup of the communities is changing. Before, they stayed 30, 40 years and there was greater stability, while today there is social mobility and a change in perspective.
“The new generations do not accept the lack of space, and the limitations imposed on daily life. The war seems to have accelerated this process, thus revealing the full fragility" of a territory and its foundations, which do not seem so solid.
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