Vatican officials make solidarity visit to Church in Syria

(Vatican Radio) The Secretary of the Vatican’s Congregation for Eastern Churches, Archbishop Cyril Vasil travels to Syria on Friday for a visit that aims to show the constant attention and concern of the Holy See for the suffering Church and people of that war-torn nation. During the March 13th to 18th visit, the Slovak Jesuit archbishop will be accompanied by another official from the Congregation, Dominican Father Max Cappabianca who serves as secretary of ROACO, the Catholic Church’s humanitarian aid agency for Eastern Churches.

During his stay in Syria, Archbishop Vasil will take part in a meeting of the Assembly of Catholic Hierarchs and will preside at an encounter of young Christians in the capital Damascus on Saturday. The two Vatican officials are also scheduled to meet with leaders of the national Caritas organisation and to pray at the tomb of the Jesuit priest, Father Frans Van Der Lugt who was killed in the city of Homs on April 17th last year. 

More than 200,000 Syrians have lost their lives and 11 million others have been displaced from their homes in four years of armed conflict, which began with anti-government protests before escalating into a full-scale civil war.