Originally published at National Catholic Register
Cardinal Dominique Mathieu, the Latin-rite archbishop of Tehran-Isfahan, Iran, who Pope Francis elevated to the cardinalate earlier this month, finds himself at the center of an increasingly volatile region.
Not only must the Franciscan cardinal, who serves as Iran’s only Latin-rite bishop, navigate delicate relations with Iran, a nation currently the focus of tensions and hostilities with Israel, but also the recent collapse of the Assad regime in neighboring Syria.
In this Dec. 18 email interview with the Register, Cardinal Mathieu explains how he is working to foster “dialogue and understanding” with the Persian nation, while also working for a better world amid such political upheaval.
A Belgian national, Cardinal Mathieu further reflects on what being a cardinal means to him, the importance of St. Francis of Assisi’s example in his meeting with Sultan Malik al-Kamil in the 13th century, and why he sees synodality as having the potential to strengthen the Catholic Church. A keen astronomer in the past, he explains how studying the universe “enhances his spirituality.”
Cardinal Mathieu was appointed archbishop of Tehran-Isfahan in 2021 after years of the see being vacant. He ministers to a small flock (just 9,000 according to the Vatican
