Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, the Prefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches will begin a six-day visit to Syria this week as part of a  mission entrusted to him by Pope Francis to offer the troubled nation's faithful the Church's closeness.

The visit, taking place from 24 to 29 January. was announced in a statement issued by the Vatican Dicastery, which explained that "the Holy Father’s intention is that, in the current situation of Syria, the nation's Catholics may feel the affection and support of the entire Catholic Church, and in particular of the Bishop of Rome, who continues to pray for them."

According to the statement, Cardinal Gugerotti will be accompanied by Dicastery’s Secretary Archbishop Michel Jalakh, and the Cardinal's personal secretary, Father Emanuel Sabadakh.

The Cardinal's itinerary

Together with the Apostolic Nuncio to Syria, Cardinal Mario Zenari, the Prefect will pray with Bishops, priests, religious men and women, and Catholic faithful in each of their respective cathedrals: the Greek-Melkite (meeting with the Patriarch, His Beatitude Youssef Absi, and participating in the Divine Liturgy), Maronite, Chaldean, Syrian, Armenian, and Latin.

In Damascus and Aleppo, Cardinal Gugerotti will meet with leaders, clergy, religious members, and laity of the Catholic communities, as well as with the charitable organizations of the local Churches.

He will also take part 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 the hierarchs of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

According to the statement, the Cardinal will convey Pope Francis' greetings to the Patriarchs, and will emphasize that, "in the present 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 St. Paul and the final day of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Cardinal Gugerotti will preside over Mass at the Memorial of St. Paul, built on the site traditionally associated with the event that marked the life of the Apostle to the Gentiles.

He will also venerate the relics of the Holy Martyrs of Damascus in the Latin church and the Maronite cathedral in Bab Touma.

Concluding his visit to Syria Cardinal Gugerotti's journey to Syria, the Cardinal Prefect will travel to Beirut, Lebanon, staying at the local Apostolic Nunciature.