POPE CONVOKES SYNOD OF BISHOPS OF THE CHALDEAN CHURCH

VATICAN CITY, OCT 29, 2003 (VIS) - According to a declaration made today by Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls, "the Holy Father, in his paternal solicitude for the venerable Chaldean Church and in consideration of Canon 72, para 2 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, has convoked for December 2-3 2003 in the Vatican the Synod of Bishops of that Church for the election of the Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans." The former patriarch, His Beatitude Raphael I Bidawid, died July 7, 2003 at the age of 81.

Paragraph 2 of Canon 72 says: "If an election is not successful within 15 days from the opening of the Synod of Bishops of the patriarchal Church, the matter devolves to the Roman Pontiff."

...;PATRIARCH BABYLON CHALDEANS;...;...;VIS;20031029;Word: 120;