BAHRAIN - Pope Francis, has appointed Msgr. Aldo Berardi O.SS.T. to succeed late Bishop Camillo Ballin as the Apostolic Vicar of Northern Arabia.

The announcement was made today at 12.00 noon in Rome and was communicated to the faithful here by H.E. Bishop Paul Hinder OFM Cap., Apostolic Administrator of Northern Arabia.

His Excellency Msgr. Aldo BERARDI, O.SS.T. was born in Longeville-lès-Metz (France) on 30th September 1963. In 1979 he entered the Foyer-Séminaire in Montigny-lès-Metz. He attended George de la Tour High School in Metz;

From 1982 to 1984 he studied Philosophy at the Major Seminary of Villers-lès-Nancy. From 1984 to 1986 he did his civil service in Madagascar. During this time he held the positions of French teacher, librarian and cultural officer;

On 8th October 1986 he entered the novitiate of the Trinitarian Fathers in Cerfoid (France). There he made his first religious profession on 4th October 1987; From 1987 to 1990 he studied Theology at the Major Seminary of Montreal (Canada);
on 17th December 1990 he made his perpetual profession in Rome (Italy);

He was ordained a priest in Ars-sur-Moselle (France) on 20th July 1991;
From 1990 to 1992 he attended the Accademia Alfonsiana in Rome, where he obtained a Licentiate in Moral Theology in 1992. In the same period, he also served at Caritas Rome;

From 1992 to 1998, he served as director of a Spirituality Centre in Cerfoid (France). He has also held the positions of parochial vicar, school chaplain, chaplain of a psychiatric hospital, Boy Scout assistant and Catholic Action assistant;

From 2000 to 2006 he directed the Centre Sainte Bakhita in Cairo (Egypt), which sheltered Sudanese refugees;

From 2007 to 2010 he served in the Sacred Heart Parish in Manama (Bahrain);

From 2009 to 2012 he was Provincial Counsellor for his Congregation;
From 2011 to 2019 he returned to the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia, serving as Parish Priest and Episcopal Vicar;

From 2019 to 2023 he was Vicar General of the Order of the Holy Trinity for the Redemption of Captives, President of the General Secretariat of Formation and Legal Representative of the Congregation’s Generalate;

On 28th January 2023 His Holiness Pope Francis appointed him the new Apostolic Vicar of the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia in succession to Msgr. Camillo Ballin, MCCJ, who passed away on 12th April 2020.