The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Fr. Aldo Berardi, O.SS.T.,
until now vicar general of the Order of the Most Holy Trinity for the
Redemption of Captives, as vicar apostolic of Northern Arabia.
Aldo Berardi was born on September 30, 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 After completing the first cycle of studies in philosophy at the Grand Séminaire di Villers-lès-Nancy, and after a missionary experience in Madagascar, he entered the Order of the Most Holy Trinity for the Redemption of Captives in Cerfroid, France, where he made his first profession in 1987.
From 1987 to 1990, Aldo Berardi completed the second cycle of studies in theology at the Grand Séminaire of Montreal, Québéc, Canada, and was subsequently awarded a licentiate in moral theology at the Alphonsianum Academy in Rome in 1990. He He gave his religious vows in Rome on 17 December 1990 and was ordained a priest in Ars-sur-Moselle, France, on 20 July 1991.
Following ordination, he first served at Caritas in Rome (1990-1992) and as director of a reception, formation and retreat centre in Cerfroid, France, parish vicar and chaplain for Scouts, Catholic Action and a psychiatric prison (1992-1998). He continued his formation in psychiatry with Chrétiens en Santé Mentale in Paris, France (1995-1997), and studied Arabic and Islamology at the Dar Comboni School in Cairo, Egypt (1998-2000).
He went on to serve as director of the Saint-Bakhita Centre for Sudanese refugees in Cairo, Egypt (2000-2006); and chaplain for expatriate for the apostolic vicariate of Arabia in the Sacred Heart parish in Bahrain (2007-2010).
In 2008 he was awarded a licentiate in language science from the Open Arab University in Manama, Bahrain. He was provincial counsellor from 2009 to 2012, and then continued his formation in practical theology at the Université Laval de Québéc, Canada (2012-2020).
He then held the offices of parish priest of Saint Arethas et Compagnons Martyrs in the apostolic vicariate of Northern Arabia (2011-2019), and since 2019, vicar general of the Order of the Most Holy Trinity for the Redemption of Captives, president of the general secretariat of formation and legal representative of the General Curia in Rome.
The seat of the Apostolic Vicariate of North Arabia had been vacant since 2020. The first Apostolic Vicar of North Arabia was Comboni Bishop Camillo Ballin, MCCJ, who died on April 12, 2020.
Bishop Paul Hinder OFMCap, then Vicar Apostolic of South Arabia, had been appointed Apostolic Administrator of North Arabia on May 13, 2020.