On March 19, the Pope appointed Bishop Luigi Roberto Cona as Apostolic Nuncio to Damascus. The Holy See’s new representative in Syria had previously served in El Salvador. He succeeds Cardinal Mario Zenari, who held that position for seventeen years, until last February.
With his official appointment on March 19 by Pope Leo XIV, Bishop Cona succeeds Cardinal Mario Zenari, who held this position throughout the 13-year civil war that tore Syria apart. Pope Francis had wanted the future cardinal to remain in place despite the fighting and bombings, as a sign of stability for a population and Christian communities suffering from combat, terrorism, poverty, international sanctions, and earthquakes. Cardinal Zenari, who turned 75 in 2021—an age that typically signals retirement—remained in Damascus until February of this year, well past the age of 80. He thus witnessed the entire period of the civil war, the fall of Bashar al-Assad, and the establishment of a transitional government.
Bishop Cona will thus be tasked with supporting Catholic communities that have been severely shaken by thirteen years of fighting, massacres, and mass exodus. In addition to maintaining ties with the new authorities—dominated by former jihadists—he will need to assist and strengthen the Churches still present, particularly in the Aleppo region, and work toward the return of Christians who have fled over the past fifteen years and found refuge either in neighboring countries or in Western nations.
Source: Vatican News
