Election of two new Archbishops for the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch

His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II nominated Very Rev. Raban Andrawos Bahhi to be Archbishop Patriarchal Vicar for Youth Affairs and Christian Education, and Very Rev. Raban Augeen Al-Khoury Nemat Al-Kass to Archbishop Patriarchal Secretary. Both received the majority of the voices of their Eminences Archbishops members of the Holy Synod.

Very Rev. Raban Andrawos Bahhi was born in Hassakeh – Syria in 1977. He joined Mor Aphrem Theological Seminary in 1996. He graduated from it in 2000. He was tonsured monk in February 2000. He was ordained priest in August 2001. Our predecessor of blessed memory Mor Ignatius Zakka I Iwas bestowed on him the pectoral cross in 2005. He received a Masters in Biblical Studies from Seaton Hall University in the USA in 2019. He served in the Secretariat of the Patriarchate from 2000 to 2002. He served as a parish priest in Egypt, the Eastern USA and the Western USA from 2002 to 2022. He was appointed spiritual advisor to the youth in the Archdiocese of the Eastern USA. During his pastoral ministry, he held bible studies sessions, organized spiritual retreats and special programs for the youth, as well as offering spiritual and psychological support.

Very Rev. Raban Augeen Al-Khoury Nemat Al-Kass was born in Baghdad – Iraq in 1988. He joined Mor Aphrem Theological Seminary in 2006. He graduated from it in 2009. He was tonsured monk in March 2009. He was ordained priest in July 2001. Our predecessor of blessed memory Mor Ignatius Zakka I Iwas bestowed on him the pectoral cross in 2013. He received a Bachelor in Theology from Athens University in 2013. He then received a Masters in Biblical Studies from Seaton Hall University in the USA and a Masters in Christian Media from the Holy Spirit University. He completed his PhD in Biblical studies in 2021 from the same university. He served in the Secretariat of the Patriarchate in 2013 and 2014. He served as a parish priest in the Eastern USA from 2015 to 2022. We appointed him Director of the Patriarchal Office in North America in 2018. We transferred his services to the Patriarchate in Damascus in 2022 and appointed him Patriarchal Secretary in March 2023.

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