The triennial meeting of the Pontifical Representatives, desired by Pope Francis, will take place from 7 to 10 September.
On Wednesday 7 at 8:00 a.m. the meeting will open with the Eucharistic Concelebration presided by Cardinal Parolin at the Choir Chapel in St. Peter’s Basilica. The first day, dedicated to meetings with the superiors of the Secretariat of State and some heads of the Roman Curia, will conclude with a meeting with the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See.
On Thursday 8 at 9:00 a.m. the Papal Representatives will be received in audience by the Pope in the Apostolic Palace. Afterwards the meetings will continue and in the evening, at 19:00, the Representatives will participate in solemn vespers in the Sistine Chapel.
The day of Friday will be dedicated to work in groups subdivided by continent, while on Saturday 10, after the Eucharistic Concelebration, presided over by the Pope at Casa Santa Marta at 7:30am, followed by meetings and work, the meeting will conclude in the late morning, at 12:00pm, with a spiritual meditation led by His Excellency Mons Angelo Acerbi, Apostolic Nuncio.
The meeting, chaired by the Cardinal Secretary of State, will be attended by the superiors of the Secretariat of State, 91 Apostolic Nuncios and six Permanent Observers without episcopal status.
Five papal representatives will be unable to attend due to health reasons or other impediments. It should be noted that in the Holy See’s Diplomatic Service, in addition to the aforementioned Pontifical Representatives, there are currently 167 staff members in diplomatic roles working at the Nunciatures or in the Secretariat of State, while four alumni of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, having completed their training, are involved in the missionary year abroad desired by Pope Francis.
