by Dario Salvi

Msgr. Martinelli told AsiaNews that it is ‘urgent’ to relaunch the Church's ‘presence’ in the country tormented by conflict and violence. The testimony of the nuns, the work of Caritas and the local Christian reality. The Houthi missiles towards Israel, the neutrality of the Gulf and the fragile balance with Riyadh and Tehran. The Abrahamic House a model of encounter, confrontation and prayer.

Rome (AsiaNews) - ‘Recovering the relationship with Yemen’. For Monsignor Paolo Martinelli, vicar apostolic of southern Arabia (United Arab Emirates, Oman and Yemen), it is ‘urgent’ to relaunch the mission in the country torn apart by more than a decade of civil war, which on several occasions has escalated into a regional conflict by proxy.

A bloody clash between Houthi, linked to Iran, and the government army recognised by the international community (supported by Riyadh), which in recent months has also been the scene of attacks on Israel by militiamen or assaults on boats in the Red Sea. An escalation, linked to the events in the Strip, which is causing massive damage to international trade and has brought a nation relegated to the sidelines of global politics back into the headlines.

‘We have to assess the situation thoroughly, understand how we can intervene,’ warns the prelate, ’and, as soon as the possibilities are there, start again. A nation abandoned for a decade and victim of a conflict that seems to interest few. That is why, as soon as I can, I intend to go there and give the signal of a renewed presence, calmly and humbly, that a small Christian community has remained and continues to bear witness to its faith'.

A community to be saved

‘Many have left in these years of war,’ Msgr. Martinelli tells AsiaNews on the sidelines of the work of the synodal assembly in the Vatican, but with the focus always on a Middle Eastern chessboard increasingly overwhelmed by bloodshed and violence.

‘Many have lost their jobs,’ he continues, ’especially migrants who have decided to leave, but it must also be stressed that there is a strand of Christian citizens that is not present in other Gulf countries. There is a small but significant local reality that shows how the Church must be present and, as soon as possible, start again'.

‘Going back to Aden (South Yemen) would be a good message,’ explains the Vicar of Arabia, because it is a territory ’that we look at with great interest. In North Yemen, we have two communities of Mother Teresa sisters and a priest.

In addition, Caritas Poland is active in the Aden region. In recent weeks, the sending ‘of another priest’ was under consideration, he says, but the escalation in the Middle East and the possible repercussions invite caution, at least for the moment, since Yemen ‘could be one of the targets of attacks as we have seen in recent days’.

‘We spoke with the nuns,’ the prelate continued, ’and they told us of explosions, but thank God nothing happened to them. Of course, the picture certainly remains one of fragility, but there are positive signs’ such as the Holy See's decision to “extend” the territory under the responsibility of the apostolic nuncio to the Emirates (Eau) to Yemen as well.

This is why ‘we hope at least in the south to start up again, to visit soon: we have four churches, all seriously damaged by the civil war, which I intend to see in person to understand how to give our mission a new direction’.

The news remains ‘fragmentary’ warns Msgr Martinelli, but ‘from what we know in the south the picture is calmer, we can think about starting again since the Holy See has also interrupted this prolonged phase of vacancy’. The north, on the other hand, remains ‘a question mark and more attention is needed’.

Fragile balance

Yemen is going through a phase of fragile equilibrium due to the multiple tensions and power relations to which it is subjected, starting from the political-religious contrasts between Riyadh (Sunni) and Tehran (Shiite), to which is added the involvement in recent months in the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas.

The firing of rockets yesterday by the Houthi militias towards Tel Aviv and the centre of Israel to coincide with the 7 October commemorations, intercepted by the army (IDF), also fits into this perspective.

‘What we can do by having a marginal presence in terms of numbers,’ the vicar recounts, ’is to support and enhance the charity work carried out by Mother Teresa's religious sisters, in addition to the humanitarian projects of Caritas.

Alongside the works, there is also the task of prayer, which involves all the churches of the vicariate where ‘every day we celebrate a Mass for peace, with the intention of asking for an end to this escalation of violence and for the many victims of the conflict’.

After all, that of peace, or at least of a truce and an end to the use of arms ‘is an ever-present theme in the liturgy. We invoke peace, reconciliation between the parties' even if the current outlook does not seem to lead to optimism and a climate of war and revenge persists.

Abrahamic House and Gulf neutrality

Widening the reflection to the Gulf, starting from the observatory of the United Arab Emirates, the prevailing attitude regarding the escalation in the Middle East is one of ‘substantial neutrality’, observes Msgr. Martinelli, even if attention remains high.

‘From Dubai to Abu Dhabi, there is news about the war in the newspapers every day,’ he continues, ‘but there is no political position. What prevails, on the contrary, is the attempt to emphasise the humanitarian aspect, the sending of aid that the Emirates regularly send, the choice of taking in the sick and wounded to treat them; from this point of view there is great attention and interest in those affected by the war.

At the leadership level, meanwhile, we continue to wait and see how the picture evolves, while at the same time trying to do good where the needs are enormous and manifold'.

In the background, within a framework of strong opposition, the Emirates are preserving what has been done positively in recent years, both from a political point of view and in a perspective of inter-religious dialogue: from the Abraham Accords to the signing of the document on brotherhood by Pope Francis and the Imam of al-Azhar, which find a concrete dimension in the ‘Abrahamic House’ that remains a positive model in a region at war.

A meeting place of the three great monotheistic faiths, uniting Muslims, Christians and Jews in which ‘prayers are regularly said for peace and reconciliation, because this remains the fundamental position’ as the Vicar of Arabia emphasises. ‘I think it is very nice,’ he explains, ’that we manage to keep this reality alive, even if it is experienced in a more restrained tone compared to its potential.

Nonetheless, it remains a very important sign, because it is a physical place for meeting and confrontation that is flanked by a forum in which fundamental issues are addressed with respect to the document itself’. A space with a strong educational imprint that goes beyond political issues, ‘puts the value of human brotherhood at the centre’ and tends to work ‘on positive issues, keeping the spheres separate’.

The priest, the rabbi and the imam are ‘extremely balanced figures,’ concludes Msgr. Martinelli, ‘very good at cultivating positive relationships and praying for peace: the “House” has a positive purpose, it would change its nature if it became an ethical or political arena’.

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