THE ROACO HOLDS ITS 87TH PLENARY ASSEMBLY

Vatican City, 23 June 2014 (VIS) – The Congregation for the Oriental Churches will hold the 87th Plenary Assembly of the ROACO (“Riunione Opere Aiuto Chiese Orientali”, “Reunion of Aid Agencies for the Oriental Churches”) from 23 to 26 June. On Tuesday 24 at 8.30 a.m. Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the same dicastery, will celebrate the Eucharist at the altar of St. John Paul II in the Vatican Basilica to commend the works of the Assembly to the intercession of the saint. In the afternoon, the participants will visit one of the Formative Institutions of the Pontifical Oriental Institute; the former, along with the nine Oriental Colleges, is supported with the contribution of the ROACO agencies.

A representative of the Secretariat of the Economy was also invited to assist the new entity in getting to know the methods according to which the Congregation for the Oriental Churches carries out its work in the coordination of disbursements, the ownership of which remains with each individual agency.

Among the themes the Congregation will consider are the situation of the Greek Catholic Churches in Romania and Ukraine, the grave situation in Syria, and the ecclesial situation of the Holy Land, including confirmation of the work carried out thanks to donations received in the Good Friday collection.

The Assembly will conclude on Thursday 26 June with an audience with the Holy Father in the morning, and in the afternoon, a Eucharistic celebration with the members of the Boards of Regents of Bethlehem University, which celebrates its fiftieth anniversary this year.