Farewell

Official delegation announced for Pope Leo XIV’s upcoming visit to Equatorial Guinea #Catholic EBEBIYÍN, Equatorial Guinea — Preparations for the planned apostolic visit of Pope Leo XIV to Equatorial Guinea have gained momentum, with Church authorities unveiling details of the high-level delegation expected to accompany the Holy Father during his visit scheduled for April 21–23.The announcement was made by Father Cristino Ela Engonga, secretary-general of the Episcopal Conference of Equatorial Guinea (CEGE) and general coordinator of the Church commission for the papal visit, during a strategic meeting that was held on March 28 at the bishop’s house in Bata Diocese.The meeting brought together members of various subcommissions from the dioceses of Bata, Ebibeyín, Evinayong, and Mongomo to assess ongoing preparations and receive updates from the Holy See regarding the historic visit, which will mark Pope Leo XIV’s first trip to Africa.According to Engonga, nearly 50 Vatican officials are expected to accompany the pontiff, including five cardinals. Among them is Cardinal Robert Sarah, prefect emeritus of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.The pope is expected to visit key cities, including Malabo, Mongomo, and Bata, accompanied by senior Vatican officials such as Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization.Other prominent members of the papal entourage include Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, and Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences.They will be joined by 42 additional Vatican officials, including Monsignor José Nahúm Jairo Salas, who is responsible for coordinating papal international travels, as well as leading Vatican communicators such as Paolo Ruffini and Matteo Bruni.Beyond the papal entourage, the meeting also highlighted the participation of special guests, including Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, president of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), as well as Archbishop Luis Javier Argüello García, president of the Spanish Episcopal Conference (CEE).Engonga further said that more than 40 Catholic bishops from six central African countries have expressed their intention to attend the event.During the meeting, participants also received a report from the masters of ceremonies of CEGE, Fathers Julio Enrique Meheme and Diosdado Márquez Sabadell, who recently traveled to Rome to prepare the liturgical celebrations the pope will preside over.The Holy Father is expected to arrive in Malabo on Tuesday, April 21, the final leg of his four-nation African trip. Following the official welcome ceremony, he will meet the president of Equatorial Guinea and address political leaders, civil society representatives, and the diplomatic corps.In the afternoon, the pope will engage with academics and artists during a meeting with representatives of the world of culture at the León XIV Campus of the National University. A pastoral visit to patients and staff at the Jean Pierre Olie Psychiatric Hospital is also scheduled for this day.On Wednesday, April 22, the pope will travel to Mongomo to celebrate Mass at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception before visiting the Pope Francis Technology School.Later in the day, the Holy Father will continue to Bata, where he is scheduled to visit a prison; pray at a memorial dedicated to victims of the March 7, 2021, explosion; and meet young people and families at Bata Stadium.The apostolic journey to Africa is to conclude on Thursday, April 23, with a final Mass celebrated by the pope at Malabo Stadium.Following the farewell ceremony at Malabo International Airport, the Holy Father will depart for Rome, arriving later that evening at Rome’s Fiumicino International Airport.This story was first published by ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, and has been adapted by EWTN News.
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Official delegation announced for Pope Leo XIV’s upcoming visit to Equatorial Guinea #Catholic EBEBIYÍN, Equatorial Guinea — Preparations for the planned apostolic visit of Pope Leo XIV to Equatorial Guinea have gained momentum, with Church authorities unveiling details of the high-level delegation expected to accompany the Holy Father during his visit scheduled for April 21–23.The announcement was made by Father Cristino Ela Engonga, secretary-general of the Episcopal Conference of Equatorial Guinea (CEGE) and general coordinator of the Church commission for the papal visit, during a strategic meeting that was held on March 28 at the bishop’s house in Bata Diocese.The meeting brought together members of various subcommissions from the dioceses of Bata, Ebibeyín, Evinayong, and Mongomo to assess ongoing preparations and receive updates from the Holy See regarding the historic visit, which will mark Pope Leo XIV’s first trip to Africa.According to Engonga, nearly 50 Vatican officials are expected to accompany the pontiff, including five cardinals. Among them is Cardinal Robert Sarah, prefect emeritus of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.The pope is expected to visit key cities, including Malabo, Mongomo, and Bata, accompanied by senior Vatican officials such as Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization.Other prominent members of the papal entourage include Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, and Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences.They will be joined by 42 additional Vatican officials, including Monsignor José Nahúm Jairo Salas, who is responsible for coordinating papal international travels, as well as leading Vatican communicators such as Paolo Ruffini and Matteo Bruni.Beyond the papal entourage, the meeting also highlighted the participation of special guests, including Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, president of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), as well as Archbishop Luis Javier Argüello García, president of the Spanish Episcopal Conference (CEE).Engonga further said that more than 40 Catholic bishops from six central African countries have expressed their intention to attend the event.During the meeting, participants also received a report from the masters of ceremonies of CEGE, Fathers Julio Enrique Meheme and Diosdado Márquez Sabadell, who recently traveled to Rome to prepare the liturgical celebrations the pope will preside over.The Holy Father is expected to arrive in Malabo on Tuesday, April 21, the final leg of his four-nation African trip. Following the official welcome ceremony, he will meet the president of Equatorial Guinea and address political leaders, civil society representatives, and the diplomatic corps.In the afternoon, the pope will engage with academics and artists during a meeting with representatives of the world of culture at the León XIV Campus of the National University. A pastoral visit to patients and staff at the Jean Pierre Olie Psychiatric Hospital is also scheduled for this day.On Wednesday, April 22, the pope will travel to Mongomo to celebrate Mass at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception before visiting the Pope Francis Technology School.Later in the day, the Holy Father will continue to Bata, where he is scheduled to visit a prison; pray at a memorial dedicated to victims of the March 7, 2021, explosion; and meet young people and families at Bata Stadium.The apostolic journey to Africa is to conclude on Thursday, April 23, with a final Mass celebrated by the pope at Malabo Stadium.Following the farewell ceremony at Malabo International Airport, the Holy Father will depart for Rome, arriving later that evening at Rome’s Fiumicino International Airport.This story was first published by ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, and has been adapted by EWTN News.

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Church authorities unveiled details of the official delegation expected to accompany the Holy Father during his visit scheduled for April 21–23.

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Lebanon mourns Father Pierre El-Rahi as calls for peace echo at his funeral #Catholic Amid a war weighing heavily on southern Lebanon with fear and destruction, a prayer of farewell rose from the town of Qlayaa for a priest who chose to remain beside his people until the very end. In the courtyard of St. George Church in a scene marked by tears, prayer, and hope, mourners bid farewell to Father Pierre El-Rahi, who was killed after shelling struck his town.The funeral and burial rites were held with the participation of Bishop Elias Nassar, representing Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, and Maronite Archbishop of Tyre Charbel Abdallah, along with Lebanese Army Commander Gen. Rodolphe Haykal, members of the clergy, and a large crowd of townspeople and loved ones who came to bid farewell to their pastor.In a message read on his behalf by Nassar, al-Rahi expressed his “deep pain and sorrow” at the news of the priest’s martyrdom. He described him as a “zealous and courageous pastor” and a man marked by “priestly virtues filled with divine grace.” Recalling El-Rahi’s priestly journey and pastoral service, the patriarch noted that the late priest was a son of the town of Debel and had lived his priesthood, since his ordination in 2014, with unconditional love, remaining close to children, youth, and families. As a result, St. George Parish in Qlayaa, which he had served for about five years, became “a model of a vibrant parish of Christ.”Al-Rahi noted that the martyred priest’s role was not limited to pastoral work. He also held ecclesial, canonical, and social responsibilities in the Archdiocese of Tyre, while serving those who were suffering, the poor, and prisoners. Mourners gather for the funeral of Father Pierre El-Rahi at St. George Church in the town of Qlayaa in southern Lebanon. | Credit: ACI MENA The patriarch also stressed El-Rahi’s “courageous” decision to remain with the steadfast people of Qlayaa while the region bears the cost of the ongoing war. He added in his message: “We pray that his martyrdom may be an act of redemption for the people of Qlayaa and for all Lebanon and the Lebanese who reject this war and long for a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace.”Pope Leo XIV mourned the martyred priest at the end of his weekly general audience on Wednesday. He said El-Rahi embodied the meaning of his family name, becoming “a true shepherd,” always close to his flock and filled with the love and sacrifice of Jesus, the Good Shepherd. He added that the priest rushed without hesitation to help members of his parish as soon as he heard they had been wounded in the shelling. The pope concluded with a prayer for peace in the Middle East, saying: “We ask God to make his shed blood a seed of peace for beloved Lebanon.”This story was first published by ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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Lebanon mourns Father Pierre El-Rahi as calls for peace echo at his funeral #Catholic Amid a war weighing heavily on southern Lebanon with fear and destruction, a prayer of farewell rose from the town of Qlayaa for a priest who chose to remain beside his people until the very end. In the courtyard of St. George Church in a scene marked by tears, prayer, and hope, mourners bid farewell to Father Pierre El-Rahi, who was killed after shelling struck his town.The funeral and burial rites were held with the participation of Bishop Elias Nassar, representing Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, and Maronite Archbishop of Tyre Charbel Abdallah, along with Lebanese Army Commander Gen. Rodolphe Haykal, members of the clergy, and a large crowd of townspeople and loved ones who came to bid farewell to their pastor.In a message read on his behalf by Nassar, al-Rahi expressed his “deep pain and sorrow” at the news of the priest’s martyrdom. He described him as a “zealous and courageous pastor” and a man marked by “priestly virtues filled with divine grace.” Recalling El-Rahi’s priestly journey and pastoral service, the patriarch noted that the late priest was a son of the town of Debel and had lived his priesthood, since his ordination in 2014, with unconditional love, remaining close to children, youth, and families. As a result, St. George Parish in Qlayaa, which he had served for about five years, became “a model of a vibrant parish of Christ.”Al-Rahi noted that the martyred priest’s role was not limited to pastoral work. He also held ecclesial, canonical, and social responsibilities in the Archdiocese of Tyre, while serving those who were suffering, the poor, and prisoners. Mourners gather for the funeral of Father Pierre El-Rahi at St. George Church in the town of Qlayaa in southern Lebanon. | Credit: ACI MENA The patriarch also stressed El-Rahi’s “courageous” decision to remain with the steadfast people of Qlayaa while the region bears the cost of the ongoing war. He added in his message: “We pray that his martyrdom may be an act of redemption for the people of Qlayaa and for all Lebanon and the Lebanese who reject this war and long for a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace.”Pope Leo XIV mourned the martyred priest at the end of his weekly general audience on Wednesday. He said El-Rahi embodied the meaning of his family name, becoming “a true shepherd,” always close to his flock and filled with the love and sacrifice of Jesus, the Good Shepherd. He added that the priest rushed without hesitation to help members of his parish as soon as he heard they had been wounded in the shelling. The pope concluded with a prayer for peace in the Middle East, saying: “We ask God to make his shed blood a seed of peace for beloved Lebanon.”This story was first published by ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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In the courtyard of St. George Church, in a scene marked by tears, prayer, and hope, mourners bid farewell to a beloved priest who was killed after shelling struck his town.

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