For the Catholic German Bishops’ Conference It is a premiere. For the first time ever, one of the most important officials of the Catholic Church, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, will be a guest at its autumn plenary assembly in Fulda. Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa is to report to the assembled dignitaries on the situation in the Middle East. They also want to discuss measures to support Christians in the crisis region: the Christian minorities there have been shrinking for years. In view of the repeated outbreaks of violence, many Arab Christians are moving to Europe or the USA.
