Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir heads a delegation to the Vatican next Thursday for a meeting with Pope Benedict XVI, the National News Agency reported.
NNA said Sfeir will also attend on Sept. 19 a gathering between the pope and patriarchs of eastern Catholic churches to discuss among other things the situation of Christians in the Middle East.

Diman sources told NNA that during this trip, Sfeir will not visit France although he had received an invitation from President Nicolas Sarkozy.

On Sunday, Sfeir will move back from his summer residence in Diman to the seat of the Maronite church in Bkirki.

The patriarch will tour the region of Batroun on his way to Bkirki. He will visit several churches in the region, according to NNA.