Archbishop Amel Nona, leader of the Chaldean Diocese of Saint Thomas the Apostle in Australia and New Zealand, has been elected Patriarch of the Chaldean Church. On 12 April, the Synod of Bishops of the Chaldean Church elected him Patriarch at its legal session in Rome.
Archbishop Nona, who chose for himself the name of His Beatitude Patriarch Mar Paul III Nona, was born in 1976 in the village of Alqosh in the Nineveh Governorate of Iraq.
He was ordained priest in January 1991 and served in Khornet Alqosh.
In 2000, Archbishop Nona began post-graduate studies at Rome’s Pontifical Lateran University, where he obtained a doctorate in theological anthropology.
After returning to Iraq, he taught anthropology at the Babylon College of Philosophy and Theology and held various church positions within the Diocese of Mosul.
In 2009, the Synod of the Chaldean Church elected him Archbishop of Mosul. He was ordained bishop in January 2010, becoming one of the youngest Catholic archbishops at the time.
Archbishop Nona was appointed to the Chaldean Diocese of Saint Thomas the Apostle in Australia and New Zealand in January 2015.
He is chair of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference’s Bishops Commission for Christian Unity and Inter-Religious Dialogue.
Australian Catholic Bishops Conference President and Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB welcomed the appointment.
“The election of His Beatitude Amel Nona is a moment of profound grace for the Chaldean Church,” Archbishop Costelloe said.
“In electing Archbishop Amel Nona as Patriarch, the bishops of the Chaldean Church have chosen a shepherd formed by prayer, unwavering commitment to his people and great courage in the face of the challenges facing the Church in his homeland.
“In a world scarred by conflict and division, the ministry of Patriarch Amel Nona will be a call to communion – within the Church, across cultures and among all who seek peace rooted in justice and faith.
“The voice of the Chaldean Church, strengthened by the election of its new Patriarch, will continue to bear witness to Christ in the Middle East and throughout the global diaspora.
“While the Church in Australia, and in particular his own people, will miss him greatly, we assure him of our prayers as he undertakes this ministry of service for the people of God,” he added.