Vatican City, 13 January 2014 (VIS) –
Today, the Holy Father:
- erected the new apostolic exarchate
for the Maronite faithful resident in Western and Central Africa, in
ad Ibadan, Nigeria.
- appointed Rev. Simon Faddoul,
president of Caritas-Lebanon, as the first apostolic exarch without
episcopal title, and as apostolic visitor for the Maronite faithful
resident in Southern Africa.
- appointed Bishop Georges Chihane,
eparchal vicar of Cairo and Sudan of the Maronites, as apostolic
vistor for the Maronite faithful resident in the countries of North
Africa nost included in the eparchal territory.
- appointed Archbishop Basile Georges
Casmoussa, emeritus of Mossul, Iraq, and bishop of the Syro-Catholic
patriarchal curia, as apostolic visitor for the faithful of Syrian
rite resident in Western Europe.
On Saturday 11 January the Holy Father:
- erected the new eparchy of St. Thomas
the Apostle of Melbourne of the Syro-Malabars (Catholics 30,000),
extending throughout the continent of Australia.
- appointed Bishop Bosco Puthur of the
major archiepiscopal curia of Ernakulam-Angamaly of the
Syro-Malabars, India, as first bishop of the eparchy of St. Thomas
the Apostle of Melbourne of the Syro-Malabars and apostolic visitor
for the faithful of the Syro-Malabar rite resident in New Zealand.
- appointed Bishop Raphael Thattil,
auxiliary of Trichur, India, as apostolic visitor for the
Syro-Malabars resident in India outside the territory of the major
archiepiscopal curia.
- gave his assent to the canonical
election by the Synod of Bishops of the Chaldean Church of Rev. Habib
Al-Naufali , as archbishop of Bassorah of the Chaldeans (Catholics
850, priests 1, permanent deacons 1, religious 7), Iraq. The
archbishop-elect was born in Baqofa, Iraq in 1960 and ordained a
priest in 1998. He holds a licentiate from the University of Mossul.
He has served in a number of pastoral roles, including parish priest
of St. George in Baghdad, director of the library of Babel College,
judge of the eparchial Tribunal of First Instance and head of the
Chaldean mission in London.
- gave his assent to the canonical
election by the Synod of Bishops of the Chaldean Church of Fr. Yousif
Thomas Mirkis, O.P., as bishop of the archieparchy of Kerkuk of the
Chaldeans (Catholics 7,000, priests 6, religious 4), Iraq. The
bishop-elect was born in Mossul, Iraq in 1949 and ordained a priest
in 1980. He holds a doctorate in theology and history of religions
from the University of Strasbourg, France. He is the co-founder of
the faculty of philosophy and theology of Babel College, where he has
served as director of studies and professor. From 1994 to 2000 he was
superior of the Community of the Dominican Fathers in Baghdad and
director of the publishing house “Al-Nasira”. In 2006 he founded
the Academy of Humanistic Sciences in Baghdad and is currently
superior of the Community of Dominican Fathers in Baghdad, Iraq.
- gave his assent to the canonical
election by the Synod of Bishops of the Chaldean Church of Rev. Saad
Sirop, as auxiliary bishop of the Patriarchate of Babylon of the
Chaldeans (Catholics 150,000 priests 17, religious 67), Iraq. The
bishop-elect was born in Baghdad, Iraq in 1972 and ordained a priest
in 2001. He holds a doctorate in philosophy. He has served as priest
in the parish of Santiago in Baghdad, director of studies and
vice-rector of the faculty of philosophy and theology of Babel
College, priest of the Chaldean cathedral of St. Joseph in Baghdad,
dean of the Chaldean priests of Baghdad and secretary of the
Commission for Christian Youth in Baghdad.
- assigned the titular see of Forziana
to Bishop Mar Bawai Soro, who serves in the eparchy of St. Peter
Apostle of San Diego of the Chaldeans, U.S.A.
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