---
title: Cardinal Gugerotti attends conference in Turkey ahead of Ephesus council anniversary
url: https://www.faithfulnews.com/en/cardinal-gugerotti-attends-conference-in-turkey-ahead-of-ephesus-council-anniversary
published: 2026-10-15T13:49:05+00:00
language: en
section: World Church
source: https://www.vaticannews.va/pt/vaticano/news/2026-10/cardeal-gugerotti-turquia-1600-anos-concilio-efeso-turquia-2026.html
organizations: Catholic Church, Armenian Catholic Church, Orthodox Church
publisher: FaithfulNews
---

# Cardinal Gugerotti attends conference in Turkey ahead of Ephesus council anniversary

Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti traveled to Izmir, Turkey, at the invitation of the city's Catholic archbishop, Martin Kmetec, to participate in a congress on the presence of Mary in Armenian tradition. The event forms part of a nine-year preparation period for the 1600th anniversary of the Council of Ephesus. The cardinal delivered a lecture on the Marian vision in Gregory of Narek, a saint declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Francis in 2015. Other speakers included Boghos Levon Zekiyan, the emeritus archbishop of the Armenian Catholics of Turkey, Professor Aprahan Terian, and Mechitarist monk Serovpe Jamurlian.

The apostolic nuncio to Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Turkmenistan, Marek Solczyński, attended the congress along with his advisor, Massimo Catterin, and the apostolic administrator of Anatolia, Antoine Ilgit. Following the conference, participants moved to the site of the Council of Ephesus in 431, which proclaimed Mary as the Mother of God. This location is near the house where the apostle John reportedly prepared a residence for Mary after Pentecost. The site receives approximately one million pilgrims annually from various Christian backgrounds and many Muslims.

The apostolic vicar of Istanbul, Massimiliano Palinuro, joined the eucharistic concelebration, while the Orthodox metropolitan of Izmir, Bartolomeo Samaras, was also present. Cardinal Gugerotti conveyed the greeting of Pope Leo XIV to the local faithful and pilgrims, granting them the Apostolic Blessing.