“The Secretariat of State welcomes the Secretary of State, H.E. Msgr. Pietro Parolin, who has arrived at his office this morning,” the Vatican Secretariat of State announced on Twitter.
Today is Mgr. Pietro Parolin’s first day at work as Secretariat of
State.
Francis officially named him Secretary of State at the handover
ceremony last 15 October but Parolin was absent for about a month,
recovering from surgery.
After meeting Pope Francis, the Prime Minister of the Bahamas, Perry
Gladstone Christie, who is on an official visit to the Vatican, was
received by Mgr. Parolin in the First Loggia of the Apostolic Palace.
Parolin appeared to be in good form and thanked everyone present for
their wishes.
When the Secretary of State entered the room, he received a warm
welcome from everyone present.
They wished him a successful start to his
new role and a speedy recovery from his operation.
Some of Parolin’s
collaborators who were present at today’s meetings, said the Vatican’s
number two man is “calm” and “prepared” given his previous experience as
Under-Secretary for Relations with States, the Secretariat of State’s
engine.
Parolin’s collaborators said he had a packed schedule on his first
day at work after he was welcomed in absentia at the handover ceremony
on 15 October.