Bishop Bawai Soro Appointed Bishop of Chaldean Eparchy of Mar Addai of Toronto, Canada

Bishop Bawai Soro has been appointed bishop of the Chaldean Eparchy of Mar Addai of Toronto, filling a vacancy created by the transfer of Bishop Emmanuel Shaleta to the Chaldean Eparchy of Saint Peter the Apostle of San Diego. The appointment, announced on October 31, 2017, marks a significant leadership change for Canada’s Chaldean Catholic community, which numbers approximately 40,000 members.

Soro, 63, was previously an auxiliary bishop of the Chaldean Catholic Eparchy of St. Peter the Apostle in San Diego since January 2014. Born in Kirkuk, Iraq, he was baptized into the Assyrian Church of the East, a church that traces its roots to the Church of the East and rejected the Council of Ephesus in 431. His family relocated to Lebanon in 1973 and then to the United States in 1976.

Soro’s ecclesiastical journey began with his ordination as a deacon in the Assyrian Church of the East in 1973, followed by priesthood in 1982 and episcopal consecration in 1984. As a priest, he served as a parish pastor in Toronto and later held leadership roles in Assyrian eparchies in San Jose and Seattle. He pursued advanced theological studies, earning a master’s degree in theology from the Catholic University of America in 1992 and a doctorate from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in 2002.

In 2008, Soro was received into communion with the Catholic Church, joining nearly 1,000 families from his former denomination. This transition placed him within the Chaldean Catholic Church, which shares a common heritage with the Assyrian Church of the East, both tracing their origins to the Church of the East and experiencing a schism in 1552. The Chaldean Catholic Church uses the East Syrian rite and is recognized as a Catholic church in communion with the Pope.

Soro’s tenure as protosyncellus, or vicar general, of the Chaldean Eparchy of Saint Peter the Apostle of San Diego since 2014 has included active participation in ecumenical dialogue between the Assyrian Church of the East and the Catholic Church. He has also spoken publicly about the persecution of Christians in Iraq, emphasizing the resilience of his community in the face of historical and ongoing challenges.

The Chaldean Eparchy of Mar Addai of Toronto, established in 2011, comprises 10 parishes and missions. Soro’s appointment underscores the church’s commitment to leadership and service within a diaspora community that continues to navigate the complexities of faith, identity, and survival.

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