The Vatican’s foreign affairs representative, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher (69), met with Culture Minister 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 rise of anti-Semitism and the global persecution of Christians,” the minister said in a statement after the meeting. in the Federal Chancellery.
“Aktion Leben” called for a review and greater implementation of the “positive measures to protect emerging life” of the term regulation decided 50 years ago. …
During the conversation, Raab also emphasized “the good cooperative relationship between the State and the churches and religious communities in Austria”, reported the Kathpress agency.
Raab thanked the exchange with the Archbishop of the Curia, Bishop 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. The Catholic Church plays a crucial role in this interreligious dialogue.”
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 of the Curia Gallagher, born on January 23, 1954 in Liverpool, has been the “Secretary for Relations with States” at the head of the Second Section of the Vatican Secretariat of State since the end of 2014. The Briton, appointed to the position by Pope Francis, is crucial to the Vatican’s foreign policy. The Second Section of the Curia’s most important 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.
(cap – sst)