Separation of the eparchy of Zakho, Iraq, from that of Amadiyah and appointment of the first bishop of the eparchy of Zakho, Iraq

His Beatitude Cardinal Louis Raphaël Sako, patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans, with the consent of the Synod of Bishops of the Patriarchal Church, has separated the eparchy of Zakho, Iraq, from that of Amadiyah, to which it had been united on 10 June 2013.

The Synod of Bishops of the Patriarchal Church of Babylon of the Chaldeans has canonically elected as bishop of the eparchy of Zakho, Iraq, the Reverend Chorbishop Felix (Saeed) Dawood Al Shabi, to which the Holy Father Francis granted his consent.

Reverend Chorbishop Felix (Saeed) Dawood Al Shabi

Reverend Chorbishop Felix (Saeed) Dawood Al Shabi was born in Karemlesh, Iraq, on 19 January 1975. He received a bachelor’s degree in theology from Babel College in Baghdad and, subsequently, a licentiate in Canon Law from the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome in 2002. He is currently preparing his doctorate in canon law in Rome at the Pontifical Lateran University.

He was ordained a deacon on 18 January 1998 and then a priest on 29 June 1998 in Baghdad by Patriarch Raphaël Bidawid.

From 1998 to 1999 he served in Mossul as a priest in Saint Joseph's Church.

He then served in several parishes of the eparchy of Saint Peter Apostle in San Diego, United States of America. In 2007 he was appointed as chorbishop, then vicar to the bishop for the State of Arizona, United States of America, from 2009 to 2018.

He speaks Arabic, Chaldean, English and Italian.