AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, 14 JAN 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

 - Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, archbishop of Genoa, Italy and president of the Italian Episcopal Conference.

 - Eight prelates from the Conference of Latin Bishops in the Arab Regions (CELRA), on their "ad limina" visit:

    - His Beatitude Michel Sabbah, patriarch of Jerusalem of the Latins, accompanied by Coadjutor Archbishop Fouad Twal; Bishop Salim Sayegh, patriarchal vicar for Jordan; Bishop Giacinto-Boulos Marcuzzo, patriarchal vicar for Israel; Fr. Umberto Barato O.F.M., patriarchal vicar for Cyprus; and Bishop Kamal Hanna Bathish, patriarchal vicar general emeritus.

    - Bishop Giuseppe Bausardo S.D.B., apostolic vicar of Alexandria, Egypt.

    - Bishop Camillo Ballin M.C.C.I., apostolic vicar of Kuwait.

 - Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois, archbishop of Paris, France and president of the Conference of Bishops of France, accompanied by Archbishops Hippolyte Simon of Clermont, and Laurent Ulrich of Chambery, vice-presidents, and by Fr. Antoine Herouard, secretary general.

 On Saturday, 12 January, he received in separate audiences:

 - Cardinal Ivan Dias, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples.

 - Archbishop Beniamino Stella, president of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy.

 - Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.
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