Vatican foreign minister to meet Marcos, CBCP

A Vatican official is scheduled to meet with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and church officials this week, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced.

Vatican Secretary for Relations with the States of the Holy See, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, will be in the country for five days to meet and attend several activities.

The visit of Archbishop Gallagher, the DFA said, is the first official visit to the country of a Vatican foreign minister in the 72-year diplomatic relations between the two states.

Gallagher will meet with Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo " to discuss areas of cooperation between the Holy See and the Philippines, such as higher education, migration governance, interfaith dialogue, and climate change."

"The meeting will serve as an opportunity to underscore the shared commitment of the Philippines and the Holy See to the promotion of peace, human rights, rule of law, and sustainable development," the DFA said in a statement.

According to Vatican News, the news portal of the Holy See, Archbishop Gallagher will participate in the annual celebration of “Pope’s Day” marking the feast day of St. Peter and St. Paul at the Apostolic Nunciature in Manila.

Gallagher will also address the plenary session of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), which is being held in Malaybalay in Bukidnon province.

He will deliver a lecture on "Moral Governance and Ethical Leadership" as part of the Mabini Dialogue series of the Foreign Service Institute of the DFA. — BAP, GMA Integrated News