Jubilee of Apostolic Nuncios

As part of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, the Holy Father has convoked a meeting of the Pontifical Representatives (Apostolic Nuncios) which is taking place from September 15 to 17, 2016.  One hundred and six out of 108 Pontifical Representatives currently in service are present at the Vatican for this significant event; only two of them are unable to be in Rome.  Of the 108 Nuncios currently in service to the Church, 103 of them are Archbishops and 5 are Monsignors who are carrying out the mission of Permanent Observers at various international organizations.

The meeting began this morning with the celebration of Mass at 8:00am local time presided over by the Cardinal Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin in the Choir chapel inside the Vatican Basilica.  There will be two conferences held today inside the Synod room at the Paul VI Hall: the first entitled The world today - The Church today - Pope Francis which will be presented by the Dean of the Sofia University, Monsignor Piero Coda.  The second conference, Genesis and the case of the culture of gender: what to do will be presented by Reverend Robert A. Gahl, Associate Professor of fundamental ethics at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross.  This evening, there will be a supper shared with the Holy Father at the Casina Pio IV in the Vatican Gardens.

Tomorrow morning, September 16, will be dedicated to a working meeting with Superiors of the Secretariat of State; while in the afternoon, there will be a third conference presented by His Eminence, Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, President of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue, entitled Inter-religious dialogue, relations with Islam.  Tomorrow evening, there will be a fraternal gathering with the heads of various Curial offices and with Ambassadors accredited to the Holy See who are resident in Rome.  This gathering will take place on the terrace outside the Pinacoteca at the Vatican Museums.

Saturday, September 17 will have a distinctively spiritual character, including 40 retired Apostolic Nuncios who have also been invited to attend, some of whom cannot attend due to health reasons or because of distance from their current residences.  At 7:30am, in the chapel at the Casa Santa Marta, the Pontifical Representatives will celebrate Mass along with the Holy Father, and then they will participate in a spiritual reflection at the Casa led by Monsignor Pierangelo Sequeri, Dean of the John Paul II Pontifical Institute for studies in marriage and the family.  At 10:00am, the Nuncios will pass through the Holy Door of Saint Peter's Basilica, and will be received, at 11:15am by the Holy Father in the Sala Clementina in the Vatican Apostolic Palace.  The meeting of Pontifical Representatives will conclude at 1:00pm with a luncheon with the Holy Father at the Casa Santa Marta.

Also, as part of the celebrations of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, the Holy Father has invited all 163 of the collaborators who work at the Apostolic Nunciatures - Counsellors, Secretaries and other workers - to attend the celebration of a Jubilee day which will be held on November 18, 2016 at the Vatican.