The Chaldean Church has a new patriarch.
The Synod, gathered in Rome since April 9, has elected Archbishop Amel Shamon Nona as head of this Eastern Catholic Church, in a context marked by internal tensions and the recent resignation of Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako following a financial scandal that has shaken the community.
Election in Rome after days of deliberation
According to EWTN News, the election took place during the synodal sessions held in the Italian capital, in an atmosphere described by the bishops as one of “prayer and ecclesial discernment”.
After completing the voting in accordance with canonical norms, the Synod elected Archbishop Amel Shamon Nona, who will take the name Patriarch Mar Paul III Nona.
In the official statement, the synodal fathers emphasized that the new patriarch accepted the position “in accordance with canonical norms”, expressing his confidence in God’s grace and his commitment to exercise the ministry “with fidelity and responsibility”, in communion with the bishops and in service to the unity of the Chaldean Church both in its land of origin and in the diaspora.
A critical moment for the Chaldean Church
The election comes at a particularly delicate moment.
The Chaldean Church faces both external and internal challenges: political instability in Iraq and the Middle East, the situation of Christians in the region, and at the same time, ecclesial tensions related to unity and the organization of pastoral life.
In this context, the Synod made an explicit call to priests and faithful to unite around the new patriarch, supporting him with prayer and co-responsibility in the Church’s mission.
Profile of Mar Paul III Nona
Born in 1967 in Alqosh, in northern Iraq, Amel Shamon Nona was ordained a priest in 1991 after training at the Patriarchal Seminary in Baghdad.
He later expanded his studies in Rome, where he obtained a doctorate in theological anthropology from the Lateran University.
He developed his pastoral ministry in his native region until in 2009 he was appointed archbishop of Mosul, during one of the most difficult periods for Iraqi Christians, marked by violence and persecution.
In 2014, after the emergence of the Islamic State, he left the city along with his faithful, in one of the most dramatic episodes in the recent history of the Chaldean Church.
Since 2015, he has served as head of the Chaldean eparchy of Saint Thomas the Apostle in Australia and New Zealand, based in Sydney, where he has carried out his pastoral work leading one of the most significant communities in the Chaldean diaspora.
This profile, marked by attention to the faithful outside Iraq, takes on special relevance in the current context of the community’s dispersion.
Sako’s resignation and the shadow of the scandal
Nona’s appointment comes after the resignation of Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, who on March 9 presented his resignation to Pope Leo XIV, stating that he did so freely to dedicate himself to prayer, writing, and a more discreet service.
However, the resignation has been surrounded by controversy.
It coincided with the arrest in San Diego of Chaldean Bishop Emanuel Shaleta, accused of embezzling church funds.
Various reports suggest that Sako may have tried to support or even promote the implicated prelate, leading many within the Chaldean community to believe that this financial scandal may have influenced the outgoing patriarch’s decision.
The election of Mar Paul III Nona now opens a new stage for the Chaldean Church, called to rebuild its internal unity and strengthen its presence amid the difficulties faced by Christians in the Middle East.