This morning the Holy Father received in audience:

-          Prelates of the Patriarchal Church of Antioch of the Maronites, on their “ad Limina Apostolorum” visit:

His Eminent Beatitude Cardinal Béchara Boutros Raï, O.M.M., Patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites, Lebanon;

with the bishops of the Curia:

H.E. Msgr. Paul Nabil El-Sayak, archbishop emeritus of Haifa and the Holy Land of the Maronites;

H.E. Msgr. Hanna G. Alwan, of the Congregation of Lebanese Maronite Missionaries, titular bishop of Sarepta of the Maronites;

H.E. Msgr. Paul Abdel Sater, titular bishop of Tolemaide of Phoenicia of the Maronites;

H.E. Msgr. Joseph Naffah, titular bishop of Arado;

H.E. Msgr. Rafic Warcha, titular bishop of Apamea of Syria of the Maronites;

H.E. Msgr. Samir Mazloum, titular bishop emeritus of Callinicus of the Maronites;

H.E. Msgr. Moussa El-Hage, O.A.M., archbishop of Haifa and the Holy Land of the Maronites, Israel, Patriarchal Exarch in Jerusalem and Palestine and in Jordan;

H.E. Msgr. François Eid, O.M.M., bishop emeritus of Le Caire of the Maronites, Egypt;

H.E. Msgr. Youssef Antoine Soueif, archbishop of Cyprus of the Maronites, Cyprus; apostolic visitator for Maronite faithful resident in Greece;

H.E. Msgr. Michel Aoun, bishop of Jbeil of the Maronites, Lebanon; apostolic visitator for Maronite faithful resident in Bulgaria and in Romania;

H.E. Msgr. Simon T. Faddoul, bishop of the Eparchy of the Annunciation in Ibadan of the Maronites, for Maronite faithful resident in Western and Central Africa, Nigeria; apostolic visitator for Maronite faithful resident in Southern Africa;

H.E. Msgr. Camille Zaidan, archbishop of Antélias of the Maronites, Lebanon;

H.E. Msgr. Paul Youssef Matar, archbishop of Bairut of the Maronites, Lebanon;

H.E. Msgr. Georges Bou-Jaoudé, C.M., archbishop of Tripoli of Lebanon of the Maronites, Lebanon;

H.E. Msgr. Chucrallah-Nabil El-Hage, archbishop of Tyr of the Maronites, Lebanon;

H.E. Msgr. Hanna Rahmé, O.L.M., Vescovo di Baalbek-Deir El-Ahmar of the Maronites, Lebanon,

with the bishop emeritus:

H.E. Msgr. Simon Atallah, O.A.M.;

H.E. Msgr. Mounir Khairallah, bishop of Batrun of the Maronites, Lebanon;

H.E. Msgr. Paul Rouhana, O.L.M., titular bishop of Antarado; auxiliary of Joubbé, Sarba and Jounieh of the Maronites, for Sarba, Lebanon;

H.E. Msgr. Antoine Nabil Andari, titular bishop of Tarso of the Maronites, auxiliary of Joubbé, Sarba and Jounieh of the Maronites, for Jounieh, Lebanon;

H.E. Msgr. Maroun Ammar, bishop of Saïdā of the Maronites, Lebanon;

H.E. Msgr. Joseph Mouawad, bishop of Zahleh of the Maronites, Lebanon;

H.E. Msgr. Marwan Tabet, bishop of Saint-Maron de Montréal of the Maronites, Canada;

H.E. Msgr. Gregory John Mansour, bishop of Saint Maron of Brooklyn of the Maronites, United States of America;

H.E. Msgr. Antoine-Charbel Tarabay, O.L.M., bishop of Saint Maron of Sydney of the Maronites, Australia;

H.E. Msgr. Georges M. Saad Abi Younes, O.L.M., bishop of Nuestra Señora de los Màrtires del Libano en México of the Maronites, Mexico;

H.E. Msgr. Abdallah Elias Zaidan, bishop of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles of the Maronites, United States of America;

H.E. Msgr. Georges Chihane, bishop of Le Caire of the Maronites, Egypt;

H.E. Msgr. Samir Nassar, archbishop of Damas of the Maronites, Syria;

H.E. Msgr. Edgar Amine Madi, bishop of Nossa Senhora do Líbano em São Paulo of the Maronites, Brazil;

H.E. Msgr. Antoine Chbeir, bishop of Lattaquié of the Maronites, Syria,

with the bishop emeritus:

H.E. Msgr. Elias Sleman;

H.E. Msgr. Maroun-Nasser Gemayel, bishop of Notre-Dame du Liban de Paris of the Maronites, France; apostolic visitator for Maronite faithful resident in Western and Northern Europe;

H.E. Msgr. Juan Habib Chamieh, O.M.M., titular bishop of Nomento, apostolic administrator of San Charbel en Buenos Aires of the Maronites, Argentina;

H.E. Msgr. Joseph Tobji, archbishop of Alep of the Maronites, Syria;

Rev. Fr. Abbot Fadi Bou Chebel, O.M.M., apostolic exarch for Maronite faithful resident in Colombia.

-           Members of the “Maronite Foundation” and Lebanese authorities.