Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches in the Roman Curia (administrative apparatus of the Holy See), Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, will represent Pope Francis at Sunday’s Blessing of the Holy Chrism (Muron, in Armenian), at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

Cardinal Sandri on Wednesday will arrive in Armenia on a five-day visit, informed the Vatican Radio website.

On Thursday, the cardinal, together with the Catholicos Patriarch of Cilicia of Armenian Catholics, Krikor Bedros XX, will preside over the consecration of the Holy Martyrs’ Church of Gyumri. The President of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, also will be on hand at this event.

Cardinal Leonardo Sandri will also meet with the Syrian Armenian refugees in Armenia.

Earlier, on Monday, September 21, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches in the Roman Curia celebrated a Holy Mass at the St. Blaise (Surp Vlas) Armenian Catholic Church in Rome, and devoted to the 24th anniversary of Armenia’s independence.