Representing President Mahmoud Abbas, Dr. Ramzi Khouri, member of the PLO Executive Committee and Head of the Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs, participated today in the inaugural mass of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican.
Dr. Khouri led the official Palestinian delegation, accompanied by Dr. Varsen Aghabekian Shahin, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Expatriates and member of the Committee, and Ambassador Issa Kassissieh, the State of Palestine’s envoy to the Holy See.
Dr. Khouri delivered a personal letter from President Abbas to the pontiff, extending sincere congratulations and blessings on the occasion of his official inauguration and the commencement of his sacred ministry as the head of the Catholic Church.
President Abbas praised the Pope’s inaugural address, delivered from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, describing it as a heartfelt call for peace and bridge-building among nations, one that resonated deeply with all those yearning for justice and security around the world.
