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.

During Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Metz on September 28, Berardi participated in meetings regarding Europe and interreligious dialogue held in memory of Robert Schuman. The Bishop, a native of Ars-sur-Moselle, noted that the history of the region, which was marked by wars, deportations, and divisions, provides a way to understand contemporary struggles for peace.

Berardi attended Holy Mass at St. Stephen’s Cathedral alongside other clergy, including Ihor Rantsya, the Bishop of Ukrainian Catholics of the Byzantine Rite and the new Eparch of Saint Volodymyr the Great in Paris. Berardi stated that the Pope’s call for peace resonated deeply with those experiencing war in their home countries.