Basic themes have been announced. "We shall have an audience with the Pope on Saturday and be in St Peter's Square for the beatification of Charles de Foucault on Sunday," says the Bishop of Amadiyah.

Vatican City (AsiaNews) – The special Synod of the Chaldean Church opens today in Rome attended by twenty bishops from Iraq and the diaspora.

One of the participants, Mgr Rabban al-Qas, Bishop of Amadiyah (northern Iraq), spoke to AsiaNews on the phone.

He said the first day "confirmed the two main issues on the table, namely the general situation of Christians in Iraq and reform of the liturgy."

The prelate did not add much except to say that the bishops are scheduled to meet the Pope in an audience this Saturday and will take part in the beatification ceremony of Charles de Foucault in St Peter's Square.

In the meantime, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani arrived in Italy where he will meet Pope Benedict XVI on the 10th of November.

The Chaldean Church has about 550,000 members in Iraq and another 150,000 around the world.

Its history goes back to the earliest Christian communities in ancient Mesopotamia at the dawn of Christianity.

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