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Election of Patriarch of Baghdad of the Chaldeans, Iraq

The Synod of Bishops of the Patriarchal Church of Baghdad of the Chaldeans, gathered in Rome, on 12 April 2026 elected Archbishop Amel Shamon Nona, until now archbishop-bishop of the eparchy of Saint Thomas the Apostle of Sydney of the Chaldeans, Oceania, as Patriarch of Baghdad of the Chaldeans.

The Patriarch-elect has taken the name of Polis (Paul) III.

Curriculum vitae

His Beatitude Polis III Nona was born in Alqosh on 1 November 1967. After completing his secondary studies, in 1985 he attended the Chaldean Patriarchal Seminary and was ordained a priest on 11 January 1991 in Baghdad.

From 1993 to 1997 he served as parish vicar in Alqosh, Iraq, then as parish priest until 2000, when he enrolled in the Faculty of Theology at the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome.

In 2005 he obtained a degree in theological anthropology and returned to his homeland, where he was assigned as parish priest of the church in Alqosh. He was appointed protosyncellus of the eparchy of Alqosh and professor of anthropology at Babel College.

Elected Archbishop of Mosul of the Chaldeans, Iraq, on November 13, 2009, he received episcopal ordination on January 8, 2010.

On January 15, 2015, he was appointed bishop of the eparchy of Saint Thomas the Apostle of Sydney of the Chaldeans, Oceania, while retaining the personal title of Archbishop.

He is the author of several publications on spirituality, marriage, and family.

He speaks Arabic, Italian, Chaldean, and English.

The following is the Message sent by the Holy Father Leo XIV, sent on the occasion of the Plenary Session of the Pontifical Biblical Commission, entitled “An exegesis sensitive to the drama of the suffering”:

 

Message of the Holy Father

An Exegesis Sensitive to the Drama of the Suffering

Mr. Cardinal President,

Dear Members of the Pontifical Biblical Commission,

I am pleased to be present among you through this message, at the beginning of your annual Plenary Assembly. You have gathered to reflect more deeply on the theme of suffering and illness: an experience that concerns everyone, every human being marked by fragility, sickness, and death. Our wounded nature, in fact, bears within itself the reality of limitation and finitude.

Why illness? Why suffering? Why death? Faced with these questions, even believers sometimes falter, experiencing disorientation, even despair and rebellion against God.

In the light of faith, however, we know that pain and illness can make a person wiser and more mature, helping them to discern in their life what is not essential, in order to turn or return to the Lord. We can draw this vision of faith from Sacred Scripture and from the Tradition of the Church. In this regard, I encourage you to unite, scientific research and attention to the common experiences of life, in your exegetical work, so as to illuminate even its most difficult aspects with the wisdom of the inspired Word.

The evangelist Mark reports that one day Jesus, seeing the bewildered and suffering crowds, was moved with pity for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd (cf. Mk 6:34). This compassion of Jesus toward the needy and the sick appears frequently in the pages of the Gospel: the Lord takes pity on a leper who asks to be healed (cf. Mk 1:40–41); He is moved with pity for the hungry and exhausted crowds and intervenes on their behalf (cf. Mk 8:2); He has compassion on two blind men who ask to regain their sight and He heals them (cf. Mt 20:34); He is filled with great compassion for a widowed mother accompanying her only son to the tomb, and He raises him (cf. Lk 7:13). Christ’s compassion toward all who suffer is so profound that He identifies Himself with them: “I was sick and you visited me” (Mt 25:36).

Jesus Himself, who went about among the people doing good to all and healing every kind of disease and infirmity, commanded His disciples to care for the sick, to lay hands on them and bless them in His name (cf. Mt 10:8; Lk 10:9). Through the experience of fragility and illness, we too can and must learn to walk together, in human and Christian solidarity, according to God’s way, which is compassion, closeness, tenderness, and solidarity.

Strengthened by faith in Christ, we can overcome the fear of illness and death precisely by becoming more aware of our fragility in the light of His passion, death, and resurrection. In Christ, suffering and illness are no longer a cruel destiny before which we must bow without understanding. With Jesus, pain is transformed into love, into redemption, and into fraternal help. Let us, then, welcome Christ into our lives: He is the only physician who can heal the illnesses of the soul forever.

I invite you to consider, in addition to illness, physical pain, and death, also the sufferings of the poor, migrants, and the marginalized of society, which are present in many pages of Sacred Scripture.

Let us contemplate in particular the Sorrowful Mother together with Jesus at the foot of the Cross: as Mother, she suffers on Calvary the sufferings of her Son and shares in them with a heart full of faith, offering her piercing sorrow for the good of all. In this way, her intercession acquires for us a unique value.

The example of the Mother invites every believer, not only to pray for their brothers and sisters, but also to imitate the humble offering of their own sufferings in union with the Sacrifice of Christ. In this sense, each one can say with Mary: “In my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church” (Col 1:24). This completion is real in us, even though it adds nothing to the salvific work of the one Redeemer, which is perfect, universal, and superabundant: “The suffering of Christ has created the good of the world’s redemption. This good in itself is inexhaustible and infinite. No man can add anything to it.” This completion rather means that every sufferer becomes a participant, that is, becomes involved in that work and expresses it with the unique characteristics that spring from their own history. Indeed, Christ “has opened His suffering to man, because He Himself in His redemptive suffering has, in a certain sense, become a participant in all human sufferings […] enriched with a new content and a new meaning.”

The Cardinal President has informed me that the Biblical Commission is analyzing various figures of suffering biblical characters. Together, they will surely become a beautiful symbol of hope for every person who unites their sufferings to the crucified Christ, renewing the manifestation of His loving face.

Dear Members of the Pontifical Biblical Commission, I express to all of you my personal gratitude and encouragement. Wishing you a fruitful continuation of your work, I invoke the light of the Holy Spirit on you and impart to all my Apostolic Blessing.

From the Vatican, March 27, 2026

Leo PP. XIV

______________

[1]  S. John Paul II, Ap. Lett.  Salvifici doloris  (11 February 1984), 24.

[2]   Ibid. , 20.

Departure from Rome

Telegram to the President of the Italian Republic

Welcome Ceremony

 

Departure from Rome

This morning at 9:07., Pope Leo XIV departed for his Apostolic Journey to Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea aboard an ITA Airways A330-900neo, heading to Algiers (Algeria).

The flight landed at the Algiers International Airport “Houari Boumédiène” at 9:48 (local time).

 

Telegram to the President of the Italian Republic

As he left Italian territory, the Holy Father Leo XIV sent the following telegram to the President of the Italian Republic, the Honourable Sergio Mattarella:

Telegram

To His Excellency Hon. Sergio Mattarella President of the Italian Republic Quirinal Palace

As I prepare to embark on my Apostolic Journey to Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea, moved by a deep desire to meet the brothers in the faith and the inhabitants of those dear Nations, I am pleased to address to you, Mr. President, the expression of my respectful greeting, which I accompany with fervent prayers for the good and the prosperity of the entire Italian people.

Leo PP. XIV

 

Welcome Ceremony

On arrival at Algiers International Airport “Houari Boumédiène,” the Pope was welcomed by the President of the Republic. A young girl offered flowers to the Holy Father.

After the national anthems, the honors to the flags, the Guard of Honor, and the presentation of the respective delegations, the Pope was accompanied to the  Salon d’Honneur  for a brief private meeting with the President of the Republic.

At the end of the meeting, the Holy Father transferred by car to the Martyrs’ Monument (Maqam Echahid).

Statistics of the Catholic Church in Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea as of 31 December 2024 (from the Central Office of Church Statistics)

Table 1 – Population and ecclesiastic structure in Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea as of 31 December 2024

Table 2 - People engaged in activities of the apostolate in Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea as of 31 December 2024

Table 3 - Indicators of pastoral workload in Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea as of 31 December 2024

Table 4 – Priestly vocations in Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea as of 31 December 2024

Table 5 - Educational centres owned / managed by ecclesiastics or religious in Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea as of 31 December 2024

Table 6 - Charitable and social centres owned / managed by ecclesiastics or religious in Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea as of 31 December 2024

 

The following are some statistical data regarding the situation of the Catholic Church in Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea as of 31 December 2024:

Table 1 – Population and ecclesiastic structure in Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea as of 31 December 2024

 

 

Algeria

Cameroon

Angola

Equatorial Guinea

Area (km²)

2,381,741

475,442

1,246,700

28,051

Population

(in thousands)

46,794

28,759

35,122

1,669

Density (inhabitants/Km 2 )

20

60

28

59

Catholics (in thousands)

9

8,303

20,310

1,248

Catholics per 100 inhabitants

0.02

28.87

57.83

74.78

Ecclesiastical circumscriptions

4

26

20

5

Parishes

29

1,426

519

99

Other pastoral centres

5

3,019

1,483

568

Catholics per pastoral centre

257

1,868

10,145

1,871

 

Table 2 - People engaged in activities of the apostolate in Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea as of 31 December 2024

 

Algeria

Cameroon

Angola

Equatorial Guinea

 

Bishops¹

9

35

27

6

Diocesan priests

12

2,388

1,007

172

Religious priests

48

912

504

93

Priests in total

60

3,300

1,511

265

Permanent deacons

1

21

18

3

Men religious (other than professed priests)

18

260

340

28

Professed women religious

105

3,331

2,460

169

Members of Secular Institutes

-

33

8

1

Lay missionaries

20

108

43

19

Catechists

6

26,328

56,559

790

______________________

  ¹ Situation as of 28.02.2026

 

Table 3 - Indicators of pastoral workload in Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea as of 31 December 2024

 

 

Algeria

Cameroon

Angola

Equatorial Guinea

 

Catholics per priest                                                   

146

2.516

13,441

4,709

Catholics per pastoral worker

41

248

333

974

Priests per pastoral centre

1.76

0.74

0.76

0.40

Priests per 100 people engaged in activities of the apostolate                                                         

30.9

10.0

2.5

21.2

 

Table 4 – Priestly vocations in Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea as of 31 December 2024  

Algeria

Cameroon

Angola

Equatorial Guinea

Minor seminarians

-

1,831

1,598

52

Major seminarians

4

2,218

2,366

105

Major seminarians per 100,000 inhabitants

0.01

7.71

6.74

6.29

Major seminarians per 100,000 Catholics

45.77

26.71

11.65

8.41

Major seminarians per 100 priests

6.67

67.21

156.59

39.62

 

Table 5 - Educational centres owned / managed by ecclesiastics or religious in Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea as of 31 December 2024

 

Algeria

Cameroon

Angola

Equatorial Guinea

Schools:

 

 

 

 

-       Pre-school and primary

3

1,668

389

86

-       Middle and secondary

2

276

131

31

-       Higher education and universities

9

34

10

3

Students of:

 

 

 

 

-       Pre-school and primary

230

299,586

321,122

17,617

-       Middle and secondary

100

127,871

121,218

8,129

-       Higher education and universities

2,617

15,842

24,233

112

 

Table 6 - Charitable and social centres owned / managed by ecclesiastics or religious in Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea as of 31 December 2024

 

Algeria

Cameroon

Angola

Equatorial Guinea

 

Hospitals

-

59

48

-

Clinics

1

279

76

9

Leper colonies

-

7

7

1

Homes for the elderly and disabled

2

12

12

3

Orphanages and nurseries

5

42

112

6

Family consultation centres

1

21

5

-

Special social education or rehabilitation centres

-

30

5

1

Other institutions

9

138

70

15

Resignation and appointment of apostolic nuncio in Germany

Resignation of bishop of Nicopolis, Bulgaria, and appointment of apostolic administrator  sede vacante

Appointment of members of the Dicastery for Communication

 

Resignation and appointment of apostolic nuncio in Germany

The Holy Father has accepted the resignation from the office of apostolic nuncio in Germany, upon reaching the age limit, presented by Archbishop Nikola Eterović, and has appointed Archbishop Hubertus Matheus Maria van Megen, titular of Novaliciana, until now apostolic nuncio in Kenya, as apostolic nuncio in Germany.

 

Resignation of bishop of Nicopolis, Bulgaria, and appointment of apostolic administrator  sede vacante

The Holy Father has accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Nicopolis, Bulgaria, presented by Bishop Strahil Veselinov Kavalenov, and has appointed Bishop Rumen Ivanov Stanev of Sofia and Plovdiv as apostolic administrator  sede vacante  of the same circumscription.

 

Appointment of members of the Dicastery for Communication

The Holy Father has appointed the following as members of the Dicastery for Communication: Cardinal Luis Antonio G. Tagle, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, Section for First Evangelization and the New Particular Churches; Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, O.F.M. Cap., archbishop of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, president of the Symposium des Conférences Episcopales d’Afrique et de Madagascar ; Cardinal Cristóbal López Romero, S.D.B., archbishop of Rabat, Morocco; Cardinal Filipe Neri António Sebastião do Rosário Ferrão, archbishop of Goa and Damão, India, president of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences ; Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education; Archbishop Salvatore Fisichella, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, Section for Fundamental Questions regarding Evangelization in the World; Archbishop Ryan Jimenez P. of Agaña, Guam; Bishop Bernardin Francis Mfumbasa of Kondoa, Tanzania, president of the Pan African Episcopal Committee for Communications ; Bishop Marcelino Antonio M. Maralit of San Pablo, Philippines, president of the Office of Social Communications of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences ; Bishop Lizardo Estrada Herrera, O.S.A., auxiliary bishop and vicar general of Cuzco, Peru, secretary general of the Consejo Episcopal Latinoamericano y Caribeño ; the Reverend Father Roberto Pasolini, O.F.M. Cap., preacher of the Papal Household; and the distinguished Dr. Helen Osman, president of SIGNIS.