Assent of the Holy Father to the appointment of Rev. Rafic Warcha as bishop of the Curia of the Maronite Patriarchal Church

The Holy Father granted his assent to the canonical election by the Synod of Bishops of the Maronite Patricarcal Church, of Rev. Rafic Warcha, as bishop of the Curia, assigning him the titular see of Apamea in Syria of the Maronites.

Rev. Rafic Warcha

The Rev. Rafic Warcha was born on 1 November 1971 in Okaibé - Ftouh Kesrouan, in the Mount Lebanon region. He completed his studies in philosophy and theology at the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, obtaining a licentiate in theology (1994) and a doctorate from the Alphonsianum Academy in Rome in 2005.

He was ordained in 1996 for the Patriarchal Eparchy (Vicariate of Jounieh) where he spent five years as parish priest in Haret Sakr, then serving as parish priest of Saint Doumit-Okaibé (2006-2016), where he founded a theological institute. He is secretary general of the Maronite Patriarchate in Bkerké since 2011.

At the same time he was a professor of moral theology in various institutes and universities, including La Sagesse and Kaslik.

He speaks Arabic and Syriac as well as French, English and Italian.