Rome, May. 4, 2007 (CWNews.com) - Maronite Catholic Patriarch Pierre Nasrallah Sfeir is in Rome this week for consultation with Vatican officials. The timing of his visit suggests both ecclesiastical and political goals.

The 40 bishops of the Maronite Catholic Church will meet in a Synod in June, under the leadership of Patriarch Sfeir, who has been head of the Maronite community since 1986. (He accepted an invitation to the College of Cardinals-- an unusual honor for an Eastern Catholic prelate-- in 1994 by Pope John Paul II). The Lebanese prelate is reportedly making preparations for that Synod assembly during his current stay in Rome.

But Patriarch Cardinal Sfeir, the most prominent Christian leader in Lebanon, may also have important political reasons for his visit. The Maronite leader has been outspoken in his demands for an independent, sovereign Lebanon, and in his criticism of outside-- that is, Syrian-- influence. He has repeatedly called for international help to restore the national integrity of Lebanon. He may be asking Vatican officials to help relay that message to world leaders-- notably including US President George Bush, who will visit the Vatican for a private audience with Pope Benedict XVI early in June.