Syriac Catholic Patriarch Younan receives Archbishop Pascal Gollnisch in Rome

ROME – His Beatitude Mor Ignatius Joseph III Younan, Patriarch of the Syriac Antioch, received Archbishop Pascal Gollnisch, head of the Œuvre d’Orient Organization and Procurator General for Eastern Catholic Affairs in France, accompanied by a delegation of Eastern Catholic priests serving in France, on Tuesday at the headquarters of the Syriac Patriarchal Agency in Rome.

During the meeting, the Patriarch commended the blessed service of the Eastern Churches and congratulated Archbishop Gollnisch on his recent honor by French President Emmanuel Macron. The patriarch also spoke about the challenges facing the Eastern Churches, whether in the countries of origin or in the diaspora, and voiced his appreciation for the service and mission performed by the members of the delegation, which is a unique and distinctive historical message.

His Beatitude also referred to the responsibility placed on the Latin Church to help Eastern Catholics in order to preserve our ecclesiastical identity. Despite the scattering of churches in the East, they have the right and responsibility to preserve this identity, explaining the importance of urging young people to stay true to their roots and stay in their homeland.

For his part, Archbishop Pascal Gollnisch gave a speech in which he thanked Patriarch Younan for his patronage of the Syriac Church in light of all these difficulties and challenges, and thanked him for what he is doing to support the Christians of the East so that they remain in their countries, as well as those coming to the countries of the West so that they can preserve their faith and their ecclesiastical traditions

Archbishop Rami Qabalan spoke about the history of the Syriac patriarchal agency in Rome, and the current restoration works in the agency building, and in the end, granted the apostolic blessing to the attendees in the Syriac language.