ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)
His Holiness Pope Francis appointed Monsignor Dr. Yoannis Lahzi Gaid to the Vatican Secretariat of State in the Section for General Affairs, alongside his role as representative of the Holy See in the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity, along with His Eminence Cardinal Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, the Perfect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue.
Monsignor Lahzi Gaid joined the Vatican diplomatic service in 2007 after earning his doctorate in Canon Law with highest honors. During the papacy of Pope Benedict XVI, he served as Secretary at the Vatican Embassies in the Congo, Gabon, Jordan, and Iraq. In 2012, he established the Arabic Language Department at the Vatican and in 2014 was awarded the title of Diplomatic Counsellor. He served for over six years as personal secretary to Pope Francis, the first Easterner to hold this position in the history of the Papacy and the Vatican.
Monsignor Lahzi Gaid is known for his close relationship with Pope Francis and acted as a bridge between His Holiness and the Middle East and Arab countries. He played a significant role in renewing dialogue with Al-Azhar in 2016, and in drafting and signing the Document on Human Fraternity in Abu Dhabi on February 4, 2019. He also played a key role in preparing Pope Francis' historic visits to the Arab Republic of Egypt in 2017 and the UAE in 2019.
In recognition of his efforts to promote peace initiatives and spread a culture of peaceful coexistence among followers of religions, Monsignor Lahzi Gaid was awarded the Order of Zayed II first class by the UAE.
The official website of Al-Azhar described Monsignor Lahzi Gaid as an engineer of Islamic-Christian relations and ties between the Vatican and Arab countries acknowledging his efforts in revitalising and supporting Islamic-Christian dialogue.