.- On Saturday, the Holy Father appointed six prelates to leadership positions for the upcoming Synod of Bishops for the Middle East, scheduled to take place October 10 – 24 of this year.
The upcoming synod will focus on the communion of the Catholic Church in the region, and will take on the theme, “The Catholic Church in the Middle East: Communion and Witness. 'The whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul.'"
Those appointed to the special assembly include:
- His Beatitude Cardinal Nasrallah Pierre Sfeir, Patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites, Lebanon, as president delegate "ad honorem."
- His Beatitude Cardinal Emmanuel III Delly, Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans, Iraq, as president delegate "ad honorem."
- Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, as president delegate.
- His Beatitude Ignace Youssif III Younan, Patriarch of Antioch of the Syrians, Lebanon, as president delegate.
- His Beatitude Antonios Naguib, Patriarch of Alexandria of the Copts, Egypt, as relator general.
- Archbishop Joseph Soueif of Cyprus of the Maronites, as special secretary.
