The leader of the Maronite Catholic Church has announced plans for a meeting of all Orthodox and Catholic patriarchs of the Middle East.
Cardinal Bechara Boutros Rai, one of the four leaders of Eastern Catholic Churches who will be taking part in the conclave to elect the new pope, said the aim would be “to promote unity among Christians and deal with the problems and suffering that we share in this difficult moment in history”.
He said the patriarchs will form an important network of ecumenical leaders, as a support system for the embattled Christians of the region.