Resignation and appointment of archbishop of Damascus of the Maronites, Syria
Appointment of bishop of Syros with Milos, Santorini and apostolic administrator ad nutum Sanctae Sedis of Candia
Appointment of auxiliary bishop of Asunción, Paraguay
Resignation and appointment of archbishop of Damascus of the Maronites, Syria
The Holy Father has granted his assent to the election by the Synod of Bishops of the Patriarchal Church of Antioch of the Maronites of the Reverend Chorbishop Sharbel (Ghattas) Maroun, until now protosyncellus of the eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles of the Maronites, United States of America, as archbishop of Damascus of the Maronites, Syria, following the acceptance by the same Synod of the resignation from the pastoral care of the aforementioned archeparchy presented by Archbishop Samir Nassar.
Curriculum vitae
Archbishop-elect Sharbel (Ghattas) Maroun was born on 6 January 1962 in Kfarselwan, Lebanon.
After obtaining his secondary school diploma, he worked briefly at the Crédit Libanais bank. In 1983, following the war, his family relocated to the United States of America, where he carried out specialized studies in information technology.
In 1984 he entered the seminary of the eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles of the Maronites in Washington D.C., where he carried out his studies in philosophy and theology.
After receiving priestly ordination on 6 January 1989, he was appointed vicar of the Maronite parish of Saint Anthony in Danbury, Connecticut.
Since 2020 he has served as protosyncellus of the Maronite eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles, in which he also held the following offices: parish vicar of Saint Maron in Minneapolis, Minnesota; director of youth pastoral care; representative for ecumenism and interreligious dialogue; director of vocational pastoral care; protopresbyter of the deanery of Mid-America; administrator of the Saint Sharbel Mission in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; syncellus for the eparchal clergy; member of the Presbyteral Council and the College of Consultors; representative for New Evangelization; chair of the board of Télé Lumière International.
In 2015 he was invested with the dignity of Chorbishop.
Appointment of bishop of Syros with Milos, Santorini and apostolic administrator ad nutum Sanctae Sedis of Candia
The Holy Father has appointed Archbishop Georgios Altouvas as bishop of Syros with Milos, Santorini and apostolic administrator ad nutum Sanctae Sedis of Candia, transferring him from the archdiocese of Corfu, Zante and Cefalonia and from the apostolic vicariate of Saloniki, conserving ad personam the title of Archbishop.
Appointment of auxiliary bishop of Asunción, Paraguay
The Holy Father has appointed Bishop Gabriel Narciso Escobar Ayala, S.D.B., as auxiliary bishop of the metropolitan archdiocese of Asunción, Paraguay, transferring him from the apostolic vicariate of Chaco Paraguayo, conserving the titular see of Media.
Curriculum vitae
Bishop Gabriel Narciso Escobar Ayala, S.D.B., was born on 18 June 1971 in Asunción.
He was ordained a priest on 10 February 2001, in Asunción, and was incardinated into the Salesian Society of Saint John Bosco (S.D.B.).
After his formation in Paraguay, he continued his theological studies in Chile, obtaining a licentiate in religious sciences and in education.
He has held the following offices: bursar of the Salesian House of Concepción and of the “Salesianito” College of Asunción; director of the “Salesianito” College (2008-2013) and of the “San José” Salesian Institute of Concepción (2013).
He was appointed titular bishop of Media and apostolic vicar of Chaco Paraguayo on 18 June 2013, receiving episcopal ordination on the following 3 August.
Within the Episcopal Conference of Paraguay, he has held various roles: chair of the Episcopal Commission for Missionary Animation; coordinator of pastoral ministry for human mobility and of educational pastoral ministry; and to date, coordinator of consecrated life.
