Christian leaders in the holy land

H.B. Patriarch Fouad Twal

Since June 21, 2008, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem is under the leadership of His Beatitude Fouad Twal, ninth patriarch since the restoration of the seat in Jerusalem (1847). Patriarch Fouad, Jordanian, is the second Arab patriarch placed at the head of the diocese. For his mission, he chose as his motto: “My heart is ready”

 The Archdiocese of Jerusalem has jurisdiction for all Latin Rite Catholics in Israel, Palestine, Jordan and Cyprus.

He was ordained to the priesthood on 29 June 1966. After his ordination he was the vicar of Ramallah. In 1972 he entered the Pontifical Lateran University where he studied for a doctrate in canon law. He was awarded his doctorate in 1975. He was appointed the prelate of the territorial prelature of Tunis by Pope John Paul II on 30 May 1992. He was concrecrated to the episcopate on 22 July later that year. In 1995, the territorial prelature was elevated to become the Diocese of Tunis, and Twal was made an archbishop ad personam. In 2005, Pope Benedict XVI named him the coadjutor archbishop of Jerusalem. He succeeded Michel Sabbah as the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem in 2008.

On 7 March 2009 Pope Benedict appointed Patriach Twal as a member of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches.

Biographical Outline

23 October 1940 - Born in Madaba, Jordan.
 October 1959 - Entered the Patriarchal seminary at Beit Jala.
June 29th, 1966 - Ordained a priest.
 August 1966 - Deputy Parish Priest of Ramallah.
 January 1967 - Parish Priest of Irbid.
 June 1968 - Parish Priest of Mahatta.
 September 1972 - Began his studies in Canon Law at the Pontifical University of the Lateran in Rome.
 1974 - Admitted to the Ecclesiastical Pontifical Academy.
 1975 - Obtained the licentiate in canon law.
 1976 - Obtained the PhD in canon law.
 1977 - Entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See
 1978 - Appointed Chargé d'Affaires of the Nunciature of Honduras.
 1982 - Appointed to the Council of Political Affairs, Secretary of State.
1985 - Appointed first secretary of the Nunciature of Egypt (Cairo).
 1988 - Appointed Councelor of the Nunciature of Germany (Berlin).
 1990 - Appointed Councelor of the Nunciature of Peru (Lima).
 30 May 1992 - Appointed bishop of Tunis.
 1994 - Promoted archbishop.
 2003 - Appointed President of the Regional Bishops' Conference of North Africa (C.E.R.N.A.)
 2005 - Appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI.
 14 March 2006 - Appointed President of Bethlehem University.
 29 January 2007 - Appointed Member of the Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue.
 21 June 2008 - Appointed Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem.

M