In surprise move, pope names Syrian patriarch to key Vatican post

VATICAN CITY - Pope John Paul II on Saturday named an Eastern rite patriarch to head a major Vatican office, a post previously held by cardinals of the Latin rite.

Antioch Patriarch Ignace Moussa I Daoud, who heads the church of the Syrians, will lead the Congregation for Eastern Churches, the Vatican announced. He replaces Cardinal Achille Silvestrini, a 77-year-old Italian who retired from the position because of age.

The appointment of the Syrian-born, Daoud, 70, was described as the first time a Catholic patriarch from an Eastern rite church was chosen for the honor.

While Eastern rite churches are loyal to the pope, their ceremonies often are very similar to those of Orthodox rites, and the appointment may indicate John Paul's determination to improve relations with Orthodox Christianity.

Some of the pope's more recent overseas trips, such as pilgrimages to Romania and the Middle East, have taken him to places where there are Eastern rite communities.

Recently, the Vatican said the pope would go in June to Ukraine, where there is tension between Eastern rite faithful and Orthodox believers over property and efforts to bring new members into the fold after the collapse of the Soviet Union.