Cardinal Gugerotti to visit Syria to bring Pope’s closeness
Pope Francis has entrusted Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, prefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches of the Vatican, with the mission of going to Syria to bring his closeness and blessing to the Catholics of this Middle Eastern country.
By Vatican News
Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, prefect of the Dicastery for the Oriental Churches, will begin a six-day visit to Syria this week as part of the mission entrusted to him by Pope Francis to offer the faithful of this troubled country closeness of the Church.
The visit, taking place from January 24 to 29. was announced in a statement from the Vatican Dicastery, which explains that “the intention of the Holy Father is that, in the current situation in Syria, the Catholics of the nation can feel the affection and support of the whole Catholic Church, and in particular of the Bishop. of Rome, who continues to pray for them.”
According to the press release, Cardinal Gugerotti will be accompanied by the secretary of the Dicastery, Mgr Michel Jalakh, and the personal secretary of the cardinal, Father Emanuel Sabadakh.
The Cardinal’s itinerary
With the apostolic nuncio in Syria, Cardinal Mario Zenari, the prefect will pray with the bishops, priests, religious men and women and the Catholic faithful in each of their respective cathedrals: the Greco-Melkite one (meeting with the patriarch, His Beatitude Youssef Absi, and participant in the Divine Liturgy), Maronite, Chaldean, Syrian, Armenian and Latin.
In Damascus and Aleppo, Cardinal Gugerotti will meet with leaders, clergy, religious and laity of Catholic communities, as well as local church charitable organizations.
He will also participate in the Plenary Assembly of Catholic Bishops, which will be held in the city of Homs.
During his visit, Cardinal Gugerotti will then meet with the patriarchs of the Orthodox Churches, including His Holiness Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch and All the East; His Beatitude John X, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and all the East; and other bishops of the Orthodox Churches, including hierarchs of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
According to the statement, the cardinal will convey Pope Francis’ greetings to the patriarchs and emphasize that “in the current circumstances, Christian unity is an essential imperative” and that “the Catholic Church is ready for full cooperation.”
Christian unity
On January 25, the feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul and the last day of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Cardinal Gugerotti will preside over Mass at the Memorial of Saint Paul, built on the site traditionally associated with the event that marked the life of the Apostle of the Gentiles.
He will also venerate the relics of the holy martyrs of Damascus in the Latin church and the Maronite cathedral of Bab Touma.
To conclude his visit to Syria, Cardinal Gugerotti’s trip to Syria, the Cardinal Prefect will travel to Beirut, Lebanon, staying at the local Apostolic Nunciature.
