The Synod of Bishops of the Patriarchal Church of Antioch of the Syrians elected H.E. Monsignor Youhanna Jihad Battah — up to now Bishop of the Patriarchal Curia — Archbishop of Damascus.
H.E. Monsignor Youhanna Jihad Battah was born in Damascus on June 26, 1956. He attended the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik in Lebanon, perfecting his studies at Rome, where in 1998 he obtained a Doctorate in Canon Law from the Pontifical Oriental Institute.
Ordained priest on May 19, 1991, for the Archeparchy of Damascus, he carried out the ministry of Parish Priest of Quatana. From 1992 to 2002 he was Rector of the Patriarchal Seminary of Charfet and from 2002 to 2009 Rector of the Saint Ephrem College at Rome, for Arabic –speaking Eastern students. Returning to Damascus, he was appointed Protosyncellus. In 2011 the Holy Father granted the Papal Assent to the election of H.E. Monsignor Battah as Bishop of the Syrian Patriarchal Curia.
In addition to Arabic, he knows Italian, French and Syriac.
Appointment of the Administrator of the Archeparchy of Hassake and Nisibin, Syria
After consulting the Bishops of the Patriarchal Curia, the Patriarch appointed H.E. Monsignor Denis Antoine Chahda, Archbishop of Aleppo, Administrator of the Archeparchy of Hassake and Nisibin, Syria.
H.E. Monsignor Denis Antoine Chahda was born in Aleppo on August 19, 1946. He frequented institutional studies at the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik in Lebanon.
Ordained priest in1973 for the Archeparchy of Aleppo, he held different pastoral offices up to 1979, when he was transferred to Maracay in Venezuela.
On June 22, 2001, the Holy Father Saint John Paul II appointed him Apostolic Exarch, without episcopal character, for the Syro-Catholic faithful in Venezuela, and on September 13 of the same year, he granted the Papal Assent to his election as Archbishop of Aleppo, made by the Synod of the Syrian Patriarchal Church.
In addition to Arabic, he knows Italian, French, Spanish and Syriac.
