Cardinal Bertone explains postponement of Vatican delegation's visit to Syria

CWN - October 23, 2012

A visit to Syria by a delegation of prelates appointed by Pope Benedict XVI will probably not take place until after the conclusion of the Synod of Bishops, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone has announced.

Speaking on October 23 to Synod participants, the Secretary of State said that Vatican officials are assessing plans for the delegation’s visit in light of “the tragic episodes that have taken place in the region over recent days.” He said that the visit “will be postponed,” and that as a result of the schedule change, some members of the papal delegation may be replaced because of other commitments.

A delegation will visit Syria soon, however, Cardinal Bertone said. He reminded the Synod that the Pope wanted the prelates “to express his solidarity and that of the Synod with the people of Syria who, unfortunately, have for some time been experiencing a tragic situation of suffering.”

Additional sources for this story
Some links will take you to other sites, in a new window.

An appeal from our founder, Dr. Jeffrey Mirus:

Dear reader: If you found the information on this page helpful in your pursuit of a better Catholic life, please support our work with a donation. Your donation will help us reach five million Truth-seeking readers worldwide this year. Thank you!

Easter Campaign:
Progress toward our Spring 2013 goal ($34,555 to go):
$80,000.00 $45,444.82
43% 57%
Sound Off! CatholicCulture.org supporters weigh in.

All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!

There are no comments yet for this item.

Catholic World News Email Newsletter
Donate to Support this Site: Your contribution will be put to good work.
Tour the CatholicCulture.org Site
Shop Amazon to Raise Money for Catholic Culture

Recent Catholic Commentary

Learning from the sick, and from the death of a child May 17
The case for change in Irish abortion law: based on a framework of falsehood May 17
The Smell of the Sheep May 16
Too many missing funds: Catholic institutions need tighter financial controls May 16
What capitalists should learn from the Pope's critique May 16

Top Catholic News

Most Important Stories of the Last 30 Days
Pope strongly supports call for reform in religious life CWN - May 8