Today, 15 centuries after the massacre of Saint Najran and his companions (October 15, 523), the Arab Church celebrates its Jubilee. Bishop Berardi: Exploring “The Rich Christian History of the Arabian Peninsula”. Priest of the South: raising awareness of the “most precious witnesses” of the Missionaries of Charity.
Milan (AsiaNews) – From the first centuries to today, the story of Christians in the Middle East is one of blood and martyrdom, of witness to fidelity to the Gospel in the face of war, persecution and sectarian violence. Often ‘collateral victims’: In the latest example, a Christian refugee near Gaza’s Greek Orthodox Church of St. Porphyrius was killed by an Israeli rocket in the ongoing conflict with Hamas in the Gaza corridor, threatening to anger the entire area.
Even before that, there was the example of Iraqi Christians, who paid with their lives in the October 31, 2010 massacre at the Syrian Catholic Church of Our Lady of the Savior in Baghdad, which left 58 people dead (including two priests) and more than 70 People get hurt.
Saint Aretas and his companions are known as the “Arab Martyrs” of Najran, whose story dates back to the first millennium and which Catholics in the Arabian Peninsula are known for starting today until 2024 This extraordinary jubilee will be commemorated with a special jubilee that ends on 23 October. Once upon a time, this was the ideal place to rediscover the value of their presence in a Muslim-majority region, but there are traces of Christian communities in the area even before the rise of Islam and Muhammad.
St. Aretas and Companions: Faith, Beyond Life
This is the legacy of the “Arab Martyrs” of Najran, who sacrificed their lives for the sake of current affairs and bear witness to the Gospel led by their leader and charismatic leader, Saint Aretas.
On October 24, 523, one of the bloodiest events in the first century of church history in Arabia took place, the martyrdom of the saint and his companions, which today, 1,500 years later, became an occasion of celebration for Catholics in Arabia.
A widespread reality in which they are a minority, consisting mainly of economic immigrants from other Asian countries, especially the Philippines, or from the Indian subcontinent: the Northern Diocese, including the territories of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia (however, in addition to the Muslim religion (no other cults are allowed, at least officially)) and the southern dioceses including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Yemen and Oman.
On September 30, 2011, Bishop Camillo Ballin, then Apostolic Vicar of the North, pointed to Gulf Christians Saints Aretas and the Martyrs of Najran as examples of life and fidelity.
The bishop then drew parallels between the ancient Christian presence in the region, long before today’s Islamic majority, and the modern witness of Christian communities in the Arab world. In this way, the priests want to emphasize their contribution to the realization of the ideals of peace and dialogue between different communities.
At the same time, he urged today’s Christians to delve deeper into local history, traditions and culture and “better love this land and respect it.”
Saint Aretas and his companions originally came from the ancient city of Najran in southern Arabia (now Saudi Arabia) and were martyred for their faith in 523 AD.
Their leader Areta, born Al-Harith bin Ka’b in 427 AD, ruled the then predominantly Christian city until his martyrdom at the age of 95, when The area was attacked by Dhu Nuwas, king of Himyarit.
A convert to Judaism and a rebellious vassal of the Ethiopian king, he managed to deceptively break through the city’s defenses and infiltrate the interior, massacring those who refused to renounce their Christian faith and burning churches.
After conquering Najran, du Nois ordered priests, deacons, nuns, and laity to be thrown into trenches and burned, a practice that came to be known in Arabic tradition as “the people of the ditch (al-ukhdud).” Men, women and children were then massacred, with one child as young as five thrown into the flames to be with his mother.
Saint Aretas and one hundred of his followers were eventually beheaded, and the number of martyrs ranges from 340 to more than 4,000, but the exact number is uncertain.
From Gaza to Aden, today’s martyrs
Priests of Northern Arabia in order to rediscover their history and the value of their Christian existence. Aldo Berardi and Bishop Paolo Martinelli of the southern Arabian Peninsula asked Pope Francis to declare a jubilee.
At the center of the celebrations for the indulgence are the Cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia in Bahrain and the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The saint’s relics are a gift from Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople and are expected to arrive in Bahrain in November.
The bishop stressed to AsiaNews that in this Jubilee, knowing more about the history of the Arab martyrs, Berardi is an opportunity to “discover the rich history of Christianity in the Arabian Peninsula”, which is also an opportunity to “live the faith” and become a “daily martyrdom” a way of giving meaning to “our existence”.
“They look to them and draw inspiration from them, as models of loyalty and perseverance, but also as a community’s response when faced with danger or external threats,” the bishop continued.
“The martyrs did not live in an easy reality like we do today, but they still stood firm in their faith and defended the cross” and helped “to deepen our faith,” he recalled. “It is us,” said the bishop. Pastor Berardi of the Holy Trinity – a witness of Christ in the region “We are united with all Christians in trouble in the world”, from Gaza Beginning with the new modern martyrs of Christians killed in Israeli cross bombs and Hamas.
“Let our prayers and sacrifices unite to promote peace,” the bishop concluded, adding that even today, to be a witness of Christ “means living the Gospel in a coherent and profound way,” even to the extreme of self-sacrifice. .
The story of the martyrdom of Saint Aretas and his companions, Bishop Paul Martinelli, Apostolic Vicar of Southern Arabia, comes from Najran, a place that “now belongs to Saudi Arabia but was originally part of Yemen.” “This, he continued, is another reason why the Vicariate of the South also considers this Jubilee so important. Significant” and, moreover, “the memory of their testimony is precious to all of us” Arab Christians.
Their example, the bishop noted, “reminds us of the fact that martyrdom, as witness, is an everyday dimension of Christian life” and makes “the precious witness of Mother Teresa the Missionaries of Charity” even more important.
This refers to the martyrdom of the nuns in Aden, where four nuns were killed on March 4, 2016, when Islamic State jihadist commandos attacked the compound of Yemeni nuns in the southern city of Yemen.
Their sacrifice, like that of St. Aretas and his companions, “is remembered by the entire diocese as a tremendous testimony of faith, love and charity, which fills us with gratitude and responsibility,” the bishop concluded.
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2023-10-24 12:10:29
