Pope Francis makes a Surprise Visit to Thank the Vatican's Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith Head Cardinal Luis Francisco Ladaria who will Retire Soon

Just after his return from Mongolia, Pope Francis made a surprise visit to the Vatican's Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, to thank its prefect, Cardinal Luis Francisco Ladaria, for his work during his years of service.

The Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, announced in a statement that the Holy Father visited the Vatican Dicastery on September 5th in the morning, just after 9 a.m.

After meeting with the Jesuit Cardinal, the Holy Father also greeted various officials within the Vatican Dicastery.

Cardinal-elect Victor Manuel Fernández of La Plata, Argentina, is set to replace the 79-year-old Cardinal Ladaria as DDF Prefect, and will take office in mid-September.

The Holy Father just completed his four-day Apostolic Journey to  the country of Mongolia to visit its Catholic community of  1,500 people, mostly concentrated in the nation's capital of Ulaanbaatar.

This was the Pope's 43rd Apostolic Journey abroad and the 61st country visited as Pope.

Source Vatican News with Screenshot from Vatican Media from April 2023