The Chaldean Church Elects New Patriarch Mar Paul III Nona

Monsignor Emile Shimoun Nona was elected the new Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church on April 12, 2026, following the resignation of Cardinal Louis Raphaël Sako. Sako, who had led the church since 2013, stepped down “for reasons of age” amid ongoing challenges in the Middle East. His resignation, announced on March 10, 2026, sparked discussion among observers, as Oriental patriarchs are not required to retire due to age.

The election took place at the conclusion of the Chaldean Synod, which had convened in Rome for three days prior. During a speech to the synod participants on April 10, Pope Leo XIV urged the bishops to choose a leader “able to bear the burden of difficulties with realism.” The synod ultimately selected Emile Shimoun Nona, a 59-year-old priest with extensive pastoral experience.

Emile Shimoun Nona was born in 1967 in Alqosh, northern Iraq. He was ordained a priest in Baghdad in 1991 and served as vicar in Alqosh from 1993 to 1997. He later worked as a priest until 2000, after which he pursued theological studies at the Lateran University in Rome. Upon graduating in 2005, he returned to Iraq, where he was appointed Vicar General of the Diocese of Alqosh and Professor of Anthropology at Babel College in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan. In 2009, he was elected Archbishop of Mosul and ordained Bishop in 2010, succeeding Monsignor Paulos Faraj Rahho, who had been murdered in 2008.

Nona’s episcopate coincided with the invasion of Mosul and the Nineveh plain, which led to the displacement of many Christians. Since 2015, he has served as Archbishop of the Chaldeans in Sydney, overseeing a significant diaspora community in Australia. His election as Patriarch marks a new chapter for the Chaldean Church, which has faced numerous challenges, including conflict and political tensions.

The new Patriarch has pledged to focus on “the service of unity and mission of the Chaldean Church, both in the Middle East and in the Diaspora.” He is expected to be appointed cardinal following the 80th birthday of Cardinal Sako in July 2028.

The announcement of Cardinal Sako’s resignation coincided with the arrest of Monsignor Emanuel Hana Shaleta, the Chaldean Bishop of San Diego, who was accused of embezzling church funds. On March 5, American police arrested him as he attempted to flee to Europe. Sako’s 13-year tenure was marked by significant challenges, including the 2014 ISIS offensive that displaced many Christians and the ongoing refusal of the Iraqi President to recognize him as head of the Chaldean Church.

Source: Read the original report (translated from German)