Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
By Antonella Prenna
Manama (Agenzia Fides) - "We consider this year to be a year of grace for the entire Vicariate and for all Christian communities in the Arabian Gulf. We celebrate with faith the memory of our Christian ancestors who gave their lives for Christ, faithful to the end", said Bishop Aldo Berardi, Vicar Apostolic in Northern Arabia, to Fides, announcing the start of the Jubilee for the 1,500th anniversary of the Martyrs of Arabia (523-2023). A time of remembrance of the martyrs jointly led by the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia (with Barhain, Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia) and the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern led by the Capuchin Bishop Paolo Martinelli (see Fides, 2/10/2023).
On October 24, 2023, the Catholic Church in the Arabian Peninsula will celebrate the commemoration of the martyrdom of Saint Arethas and his companions with the opening of the Holy Year in all parishes. In this regard, Bishop Berardi of the Order of the Most Holy Trinity and Slaves (O.SS.T.), emphasizes that the Holy Year offers a favorable opportunity to rediscover the memory of the martyrs of the Arabian Peninsula and to find consolation in their stories of faith and closeness to Christ in martyrdom. "We see our continuity with the Christian communities and monasteries that emerged in this region. The archaeological finds confirm this for us. This anniversary year is an opportunity to renew our missionary spirit and deepen our faith. We, in turn, must bear witness to Christ and the Gospel by living a holy and consistent life. In the parishes and prayer groups of all religious denominations and ethnic groups, there is a general effort to engage in the spirit of the Holy Year. Even the children in the catechism are infected by this general enthusiasm," reports the Apostolic Vicar.
Saint Arethas and his companions are venerated in all Catholic and Orthodox churches. Historical sources report that they were Arab Christians from the ancient Christian city of Najran in southern Arabia (modern-day Saudi Arabia) who suffered martyrdom in 523 AD. Arethas, whose Arabic name was Al-Harith bin Ka'b, was born in 427 AD and served as prefect of the predominantly Christian city until his martyrdom at the venerable age of ninety-five. In the 6th century, the king of Himyar (in present-day Yemen), Dhu Nuwas, began a systematic persecution of Christians in southern Arabia. He burned down churches, forced people to convert, and killed those who refused to renounce their Christian faith. After taking Najran, Dhu Nuwas ordered priests, deacons, nuns and laypeople to be burned alive, and then sent men, women and children to the same cruel fate. Saint Arethas was beheaded along with about a hundred of his companions. It is believed that more than 4,000 Christians were martyred in this persecution. "We have Christian predecessors in these countries who give us an example," says Bishop Berardi, underlining the importance of the anniversary of Saint Arethas. "Now it is up to us," he adds, "to be witnesses of the Risen One in this day and age. Inspired by the Arab martyrs, the Christians of the Arabian Peninsula today are called to be 'everyday martyrs' who live in the little things of life "Bear a living witness to Christ and his message in everyday life."
On the occasion of the Holy Year, the Holy Doors will be opened at the Kuwait Cathedral and the Bahrain Cathedral. In addition, on August 29, 2023, at the request of the two Vicars Apostolic of the Gulf Region, Pope Francis issued the decree opening the Jubilee of Saint Arethas and his Companions in the Arabian Peninsula, which begins on October 24, 2023 and ends on October 23, 2024. The decree grants a plenary indulgence to the faithful who at any time undertake a pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia in Awali, Bahrain, the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, or the Parish of St. Arethaa.
“Our life is a pilgrimage,” emphasizes Bishop Berardi. "Our pilgrimage," he adds, "is often not easy, because of the difficulties of life, the environment and the society in which we live. But it is always possible to follow Jesus and the Gospel if we express our love for the Father and when we allow ourselves to be guided by the Holy Spirit. When this happens, our pilgrimage becomes a blessing. And the Holy Year offers us "the opportunity to better understand our vocation as a Catholic Church in this region".
The Apostolic Penitentiary has issued a corresponding decree granting the Vicar Apostolic of Northern Arabia, Bishop Aldo Berardi (O.S.s.T.), the authority "to all the faithful present who show deep remorse and are moved by love" after the celebration of the Holy Mass on an appropriate day of the Holy Year to grant the "Apostolic Blessing with Plenary Indulgence" by the Pope. In order to raise awareness of the Martyrs of Arabia in the local context and promote reverence for them in the communities of the two vicariates, the book entitled "The Unforgotten Martyrs of Arabia", first published in English in 2020, has been translated into several languages and published.
A holy relic of Saint Arethas, a gift from Bartholomew I, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, is expected to arrive in Bahrain in November 2023. According to tradition, the relics of Saint Arethas and his fellow martyrs from Najran were kept in a magnificent cube-shaped shrine that became a popular pilgrimage site for Arab Christians in late antiquity. The shrine was destroyed in the 7th century when Christians were expelled from southern Arabia. It is believed that many of the relics were taken to various monasteries and churches in Syria and Iraq. The relic of Saint Arethas eventually ended up on Mount Athos in Greece. The return of his relic to the Arabian Peninsula after almost fourteen centuries is therefore considered an extraordinary blessing for contemporary Christian communities in the Gulf.
Around 2.5 million Catholic believers live in the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia, mostly foreign workers from different nations and cultures. (Agenzia Fides, 20/10/2023)
