The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, will attend the World Synod of Bishops that opens on Sunday in Rome.
The announcement was made by Archbishop Nikola Eterovic, secretary general of the Synod of Bishops.
The synod’s theme is “The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church.”
Archbishop Eterovic told Vatican Radio Oct. 1 that the Orthodox patriarch’s presence at the gathering of prayer and reflection on the Word of God is a “reminder” of St. Paul, whom the Church is commemorating this year on the 2,000th anniversary of the apostle’s birth.
Pope Benedict XVI will preside over an opening Mass on Sunday at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls.
The synod, which runs until Oct. 26, will be attended by 253 cardinals and bishops and 41 experts.
— Tom McFeely