Pope Francis has appointed two new auxiliary bishops for the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem
Newsroom (14/03/2022 14:34, Gaudium Press) The Vatican made public on Friday, March 11, the appointment of two priests to assume the position of auxiliary bishops in the Holy Land.
Father Rafic Nahra has been appointed to the vicariate of Israel and Father Jamal Khader to the vicariate of Jordan. The dates of the episcopal ordinations have not yet been announced.
Father Rafic Nahra. Photo: College of the Bernardines
Father Rafic Nahra
Father Rafic Nahra, of Lebanese origin, was born on January 27, 1959. For some years he worked as an engineer before entering the seminary in Paris. He was then sent to Rome to continue his studies in theology and Sacred Scripture.
As a priest in Paris since 1992, Father Rafic taught Sacred Scripture at the Cathedral School and the Faculty of Notre Dame while also working in pastoral activities. In 2004, Father Rafic began his studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he earned a Master’s degree in Jewish thought and then a doctorate in Arab-Jewish literature.
During his studies in the Holy Land, Father Rafic often went to Paris, but gradually he took on responsibilities with the Catholic community in Jerusalem. In 2016, he was made entirely available to the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, and since 2021 he has been the Patriarchal Vicar of Israel in the city of Nazareth.
Father Jamal Khader
Father Jamal Khader was born on July 3, 1964 in Zababdeh, Palestine. He entered the seminary soon after his primary studies and was ordained a priest in 1988, taking on the role of vicar in some parishes in Jordan.
In 1998, he obtained a doctorate in dogmatic theology in Rome from the Gregorian University. Back in his diocese, he was professor and rector of the seminary, and head of the department of religious studies at the University of Bethlehem. Since July 2021, he is Patriarchal Vicar of Jordan. (FM)
Compiled by Teresa Joseph
