Syria’s new Vatican envoy urges dialogue, hopes Christians remain
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Luigi Roberto Cona, the newly appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Syria, said on Wednesday the he hopes the country’s Christians can continue serving as a “bridge” for dialogue as he prepares to assume his post on May 21.
Appointed by Pope Leo XIV on March 19, Archbishop Cona succeeds Mario Zenari, who served in Damascus for 17 years.
Speaking to Vatican News from El Salvador, Cona described his mission as one of service to Christian communities amid Syria’s socio-political fragility and regional tensions.
Recalling his 2014–2017 posting in Amman, he said assisting nearly 10,000 displaced Iraqis fleeing Mosul during the war with the Islamic State shaped his pastoral outlook.
Cona expressed hope that conditions in Syria will allow Christians to remain, noting their historical role in fostering dialogue and contributing to legal, administrative, and economic life.
He pledged to encourage engagement with authorities that succeeded Bashar al-Assad through “spaces for encounter and dialogue.”
He also signaled readiness to support housing initiatives for families still displaced after the devastating 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, and urged restraint amid recent cross-border tensions, stressing that quiet diplomacy remains vital in preventing escalation.