VATICAN CITY, July 3, 2025 (WAFA) – Pope Leo XIV today appointed Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, as a member of the Vatican Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue. The announcement, made Thursday, includes several new members from across more than twenty countries.

Among those appointed alongside Cardinal Pizzaballa are Cardinal Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi, Archbishop of Tokyo; Cardinal Dominique Joseph Mathieu, Archbishop of Tehran and Isfahan for the Latins; Archbishop Jacques Mourad, Syriac Catholic Archbishop of Homs; and Bishop Paolo Martinelli, Apostolic Vicar of Southern Arabia.

The new members of the Dicastery hail from a wide range of countries, including the Holy Land, Japan, Iran, Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, Syria, Thailand, Vietnam, South Africa, Brazil, Kazakhstan, Burkina Faso, Ireland, the United Arab Emirates, Italy, Indonesia, Germany, Kenya, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

This appointment comes shortly after Cardinal Pizzaballa was named on June 25 as a member of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.

The Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue plays a vital role in promoting mutual respect and collaboration between the Catholic Church and followers of other religions around the world.

M.N