Chaldean Catholic Church elects Emil Shimoun Nona as new patriarch

Bishop Emil Shimoun Nona was elected on Sunday as the new patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church in Iraq and worldwide. His election follows the resignation of Louis Raphael Sako.

A statement from the synod’s secretariat said the vote adhered to established church procedures. After his election, Emil Shimoun Nona took the name His Beatitude Patriarch Mar Paul III Nona.

Sako stepped down on March 10 after 13 years in the post. He chose to dedicate his time to prayer and writing.

Nona was born in 1968 in Alqosh, northern Iraq, and is described as a prominent figure within the Chaldean Catholic Church. He previously served as Archbishop of Mosul, where he led the local Christian community through one of its most difficult periods. The source notes the 2014 rise of ISIS and the displacement of thousands of Christians from the city and surrounding areas. Leading families through that displacement reflects the call to protect the vulnerable (Proverbs 31:8-9).

Nona later became Apostolic Visitor for Chaldean Catholics in Europe, a role that extended his pastoral responsibilities across diaspora communities.

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