Vienna, 24 November 2023 (KAP) Vatican “Minister for Foreign Affairs”, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher (69), met with Minister of Culture Susanne Raab on Friday as part of his visit to Vienna. “The topics of the conversation included, among other things, the situation in Israel and Hamas’ terrible war of aggression against the Israeli population, the growing anti-Semitism and the global persecution of Christians,” the minister said in a statement after the meeting. in the Federal Chancellery. During the conversation, Raab also emphasized “the good cooperative relationship between the state and the churches and religious communities in Austria”.
Raab expressed his gratitude for the exchange with the Archbishop of the Curia, Archbishop Gallagher, and stated: “The good climate of coexistence between churches and religious societies in our country shapes cohesion and also has an important modeling effect on dialogue between religions. and people. plays a role in this interfaith dialogue “Dialogue plays a crucial role”.
Before the meeting with the Minister of Culture, the papal secretary for relations with states met with Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg and then with Interior Minister Gerhard Karner. The Archbishop of the Curia was accompanied by the Apostolic Nuncio to Austria, Dom Pedro Lopez Quintana.
Central European Meeting in Vienna
The reason for Gallagher’s visit to Austria is a meeting of the General Secretaries of the Central European Bishops’ Conference, which began on Friday afternoon at the Archbishop’s Palace in Vienna. The main talk was given by the Archbishop of the Curia. Representatives from Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Germany, Croatia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic and Hungary, as well as Austria, participate in the meeting of general secretaries of episcopal conferences. The meeting lasts until Saturday. As part of his stay in Vienna, Archbishop Gallagher will also meet with Cardinal Christoph Schönborn on Saturday.
Archbishop Curial Gallagher, born on January 23, 1954 in Liverpool, has headed the Second Section of the Vatican Secretariat of State since the end of 2014 as “Secretary for Relations with States”. The Briton, appointed to the position by Pope Francis, is largely responsible for the Vatican’s foreign policy. The Second Section of the Curia’s main authority is responsible for the Holy See’s diplomatic relations with other countries. This section regulates, among other things, the conclusion of concordats and similar treaties, as well as the representation of the Holy See in international organizations and conferences.