Resignation of auxiliary of the archdiocese of Tokyo, Japan
Appointment of bishop of Machakos, Kenya
Appointment of bishop of Villarrica del Espíritu Santo, Paraguay
Appointment of auxiliary of Malta, Malta
Appointment of apostolic administrator “sede vacante” of the archieparchy of Baghdad of the Armenians, Iraq
Resignation of the eparchial bishop of Sainte-Croix-de-Paris of the Armenians, France, and appointment of the new eparchial bishop
Resignation of auxiliary of the archdiocese of Tokyo, Japan
The Holy Father Francis has accepted the resignation from the office of auxiliary of the archdiocese of Tokyo, Japan, presented by H.E. Msgr. James Kazuo Koda.
Appointment of bishop of Machakos, Kenya
The Pope has appointed as bishop of Machakos, Kenya, H.E. Msgr. Norman King’oo Wambua, currently bishop of the diocese of Bungoma.
Appointment of bishop of Villarrica del Espíritu Santo, Paraguay
The Holy Father has appointed as bishop of the diocese of Villarrica del Espíritu Santo, Paraguay, H.E. Msgr. Adalberto Martínez Flores, currently military ordinary of Paraguay.
H.E. Msgr. Adalberto Martínez Flores
H.E. Msgr. Adalberto Martínez Flores was born in Asunción, Paraguay, on 8 July 1951. After attending the Faculty of Economics of the National University, he moved to Washington, United States of America, where he obtained a bachelor of arts degree in the Faculty. of the Oblate College. He then attended the International School of Priests of the Focolare Movement in Frascati, Rome, and obtained a bachelor’s degree in theology from the Pontifical Lateran University.
He was ordained a priest on 24 August 1985, for the North American diocese of the Virgin Islands, where he exercised his ministry for several years in the formation of seminarians and assistants for apostolic movements.
Back in Paraguay, in 1993 he was incardinated in the archdiocese of Asunción, holding the positions of parish vicar, parish priest, secretary general of the diocesan synod and pastoral supervisor of Radio Caritas and of youth ministry.
On 14 August 1997 he was appointed as auxiliary bishop of Asunción, and received episcopal consecration on 8 November. On 18 May 2000 he was appointed as first bishop of the new diocese of San Lorenzo. On 19 February 2007 he was transferred to the diocese of San Pedro Apóstol and on 14 March 2012 he was appointed as military ordinary of Paraguay.
Appointment of auxiliary of Malta, Malta
The Pope has appointed as auxiliary bishop of the archdiocese of Malta, Malta, the Rev. Msgr. Joseph Galea-Curmi, of the clergy of the same archdiocese, currently vicar general, assigning him the titular see of Cebarades.
Rev. Msgr. Joseph Galea-Curmi
The Rev. Msgr. Joseph Galea-Curmi was born in was born in Balzan, Malta, on 1 January 1964. After secondary school, he completed his studies at the major seminary in Malta, attending the faculty of theology of the local university, where he obtained a bachelor’s degree and a licentiate. Subsequently, between 1993 and 1998, he also obtained a doctorate in theology at the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome.
He was ordained a priest on 5 July 1991 for the archdiocese of Malta.
He subsequently held the following offices: between 1991 and 1993, head of the archdiocesan Commission for Pastoral Care for the world of work; between 1998 and 2014, assistant secretary for the pastoral care of the archdiocese; and between 1999 and 2003, coordinator of the archdiocesan Synod.
Since 1999 he has provided pastoral service in the parish of the annunciation in Balzan, Malta, and teaches as professor of pastoral theology, at the Faculty of Theology of the University of Malta.
In 2015 he was appointed as canon of the Cathedral Chapter and Vicar General.
Appointment of apostolic administrator “sede vacante” of the archieparchy of Baghdad of the Armenians, Iraq
The Holy Father has appointed Rev. Nersès (Joseph) Zabbara, of the clergy of Aleppo of the Armenians, as apostolic administrator “sede vacante” of the archieparchy of Baghdad of the Armenians, Iraq.
Rev. Nersès (Joseph) Zabbara
The Rev. Nersès (Joseph) Zabbara was born in Aleppo (Syria) on 6 June 1969. He entered the seminary in Aleppo in 1990 and in Rome in 1992. After an additional year at the Pontifical Oriental Institute, he continued the path of philosophy and theology at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, obtaining a bachelor’s degree in both disciplines.
On 31 October 1999, he was ordained a priest for the archieparchy of Aleppo.
He has held various pastoral ministries: deputy parish priest of Santa Barbara in Aleppo (1999-2002), school director (2002-2004), pastor of the Holy Cross parish (2004-2016), and teacher in the Institute of Christian Theology of Aleppo.
In 2016, he was appointed eparchial administrator of the archieparchy of Baghdad.
In addition to Armenian and Arabic, he speaks Italian, French and English.
Resignation of the eparchial bishop of Sainte-Croix-de-Paris of the Armenians, France, and appointment of the new eparchial bishop
The Holy Father Francis has accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the eparchy of Sainte-Croix-de Paris of the Armenians, France, presented by H.E. Msgr. Jean Teyrouz.
The Pope has appointed as bishop of the eparchy of Sainte-Croix-de Paris of the Armenians, France, the Rev. Elie (Yéghia) Yéghiayan, of the Institute of the Patriarchal Clergy of Bzommar, currently parish priest of the Holy Cross in Zalka, Lebanon.
Rev. Elie (Yéghia) Yéghiayan
The Rev. Elie (Yeghia) Yéghiayan was born in Aleppo (Syria) on 29 May 1950. He entered the Institute of the Patriarchal Clergy of Bzommar, and was ordained a priest on 24 March 1974. He has held a number of offices: school director, rector of the minor seminary of Bzommar, rector of the Pontifical Armenian College of Rome, member of the Board of Directors and bursar general of Bzommar.
In 2016, he was entrusted with the pastoral care of the Parish of the Holy Cross of Zalka in Lebanon. In addition to Arabic and Armenian, he speaks Italian and French.
