VATICAN (Agenzia Fides): Pope Francis has appointed Father Aldo Berardi, until now the vicar general of the Order of the Most Holy Trinity for the Redemption of Captives, as vicar apostolic of Northern Arabia.
Father Berardi was born on 30 September 1963, in Longeville-les-Metz, France. In 1979, he entered the Foyer-Séminaire of Montigny-les-Metz while studying at the Lycée Georges de la Tour de Metz. After completing the first cycle of studies in philosophy at the Grand Séminaire di Villers-lès-Nancy.
After missionary experience in Madagascar, he entered order in Cerfroid, France, where he made his first profession in 1987. He was awarded a licentiate in moral theology at the Alphonsianum Academy in Rome in 1990.
He made his religious vows in Rome on 17 December 1990 and was ordained a priest in Ars-sur-Moselle, France, on 20 July 1991.
Father Berardi first served at Caritas in Rome [1990-1992] and as director of a reception, formation and retreat centre in Cerfroid, France. He studied Arabic and Islamology at the Dar Comboni School in Cairo, Egypt from 1998 to 2000.
He was director of the St. Bakhita Centre for Sudanese refugees in Cairo from 2000 to 2006 and chaplain for expatriate for the apostolic vicariate of Arabia in the Sacred Heart parish in Bahrain from 2007 to 2010.
Father Berardi has been vicar general of the order since 2019, and president of the general secretariat of formation and legal representative of the General Curia in Rome.
The Apostolic Vicariate of North Arabia had been vacant since 2020. The first apostolic vicar was Bishop Camillo Ballin of the Comboni Missionaries, who died on 12 April 2020. Bishop Paul Hinder of the Friars Minor Capuchin, the vicar apostolic of South Arabia, was made appointed apostolic administrator on 13 May 2020.
