On Wednesday, July 6, 2022, a delegation of the Vatican State represented by Monsignor Ervin Lengyel, the acting ambassador of the Vatican State in Iraq, and Monsignor Vimbari Tomo, the head of the diplomatic department in the Vatican State, visited the Karbala Center for Studies and Research at the Holy Shrine of Imam Hussein “AS”.
Monsignor Lengyel said during the meeting, "This visit is very exceptional and I thank God I can make it to the holy city of Karbala, which I read so much about its history, civilization, and sanctity. I extend my thanks and gratitude to the administration of the Karbala Center for Studies and Research at the Holy Shrine of Imam Hussein for the kind reception and beautiful welcome."
"The visit made of Pope Francis and his meeting with His Eminence the Supreme Religious Authority, Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Al-Sistani, has promoted new horizons of bilateral relations, interfaith dialogue, and peaceful coexistence for the sake of all humanity,” he added, "We are honored by the invitation delivered by the KCSR aimed to develop ways of joint scientific, humanitarian, and cultural cooperation between both parties.”
For his part, Prof. Nathir Al-Hindawi, the scientific assistant of the center, expressed his great happiness and welcome the visiting delegation, reviewing the most prominent scientific and humanitarian activities organized by the center, which brought the holy city of Karbala and the Husseini cause to a global scale, such as registering the file titled “The hospitality and services provided on the Arbaeen pilgrimage” in the UNESCO’s list for Intangible Human Heritage.
The meeting also witnessed submitting a formal invitation to the Vatican State to attend the Sixth International Scientific Conference of Arbaeen Pilgrimage, which is scheduled to be held on September 2-3, 2022, and includes a set of scientific, humanitarian, Quranic, voluntary, and media topics related to this blessed pilgrimage.
