The Church in Greece

Pope Leo XIV will visit five parishes in the Diocese of Rome during the Advent season, according to a press release from the Vicariate of Rome. The visits will take place in each of the five pastoral sectors of the diocese, similar to the schedule held during Lent.

The Pope is scheduled to visit Santo André delle Fratte in the Center sector on Friday, November 27. He will visit São Carlos da Sezze in the South sector on Sunday, November 29, Santo Elígio in the East sector on December 6, and Santa Luzia in the West sector on December 13. The final visit will occur at São Roberto Bellarmino in the North sector on December 20.

During these afternoon visits, the Pope will be received by Cardinal Vicar Baldassare Reina, the auxiliary bishop of the sector, and the local parish priest. The schedule includes meetings with parish entities and participation groups before the Pope celebrates Mass. Cardinal Reina stated that these visits will serve to carry out a pastoral evaluation within the communities.

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I blessed a new Byzantine icon of the Virgin Mary during a visit to the shrine of Loreto on October 26. The icon was inspired by an ancient image that was kept at the sanctuary until 1400 before being lost.

The icon, referred to as the Platytera, serves as a symbol of the spiritual connection between the East and the West. Papal delegate Dal Cin stated that the image recalls the origins of the Holy House and its ecumenical vocation. During the visit, the Patriarch spoke about the role of the Mother of God in the Incarnation and emphasized the importance of Christian unity and peace in a world suffering from war.

Forty years after Pope John Paul II invited representatives of different religions to Assisi to pray for peace, the meeting remains a lesson for times when religion is used to fuel conflicts.