Bishop Aldo Berardi: “What Metz can teach Ukraine, the Holy Land and the Middle East about reconciliation”

Bishop Aldo Berardi, the Apostolic Vicar of Northern Arabia, suggested that the history of reconciliation in Metz and the Lorraine region can offer lessons for conflict zones in Ukraine, the Holy Land, and the Middle East.

Speaking to Agenzia Fides, Berardi noted that the wars, deportations, and divisions that devastated his home region of Lorraine created deep wounds that made the reconciliation process difficult. He connected these historical struggles to the current experiences of the people he accompanies in his ministry.

Berardi attended meetings on Europe and interreligious dialogue held by Pope Leo XIV on September 28 in memory of European Union founder Robert Schuman. During a Mass at St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Berardi sat near Ihor Rantsya, the Bishop of Ukrainian Catholics of the Byzantine Rite and the newly appointed Eparch of Saint Volodymyr the Great in Paris. Berardi stated that the Pope's call for peace resonated strongly with those experiencing war in their home countries.