Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa
Apostolic Administrator of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem
Chairman of the Advisory Board
Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa
Apostolic Administrator of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem
Chairman of the Advisory Board
Most Rev. Pierbattista Pizzaballa was born in Cologno al Serio (Bergamo) on 21 April 1965, son of Pietro and Maria Maddalena Tadini.
He attended Secondary School at the Minor Seminary “Le Grazie” of Rimini and obtained his diploma in classical studies at the Archiepiscopal Seminary of Ferrara (June 1984).
He received the Franciscan religious habit on September 5, 1984, in Ferrara (Santo Spirito) and spent the year of novitiate at the Franciscan Shrine of La Verna (Arezzo -Italy).
He made his Temporary Profession in La Verna, on September 7, 1985.
He made his Solemn Profession on October 10, 1989, in the Church of St. Anthony in Bologna.
On 15 September 1990 he was ordained priest in the cathedral church of Bologna, with the imposition of hands of Cardinal Giacomo Biffi.
After spending one year in Rome, he was transferred to the Holy Land, in Jerusalem, in October 1990.
From July 2, 1999, he formally entered in service to the Custody of the Holy Land.
After his philosophical-theological studies, he obtained:
A Licenciate Degree in Biblical Theology at the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum of Jerusalem.
Most Rev. Pizzaballa speaks Italian, Modern Hebrew and English.
Offices of responsibility:
In 1995 he was responsible for the publication of the Roman Missal in Hebrew, and translated various liturgical texts in Hebrew for the Catholic Communities in Israel.
He lectured Hebrew at the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum.
He was also the Vicar General of the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem for the pastoral care of Hebrew-speaking Catholics in Israel.
Since 2008 he is a Consultor in the Commission for relations with Judaism of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Unity among Christians.
Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa had been Custos of the Holy Land for twelve years (05.05.2004 – 20.05.2016).
He made his solemn entry:
In Saint Saviour on 2 June 2004
In the Holy Sepulchre on 3 June 2004
In Bethlehem on 4 June 2004
In Nazareth on 9 June 2004.
Fr. Pierbattista Pizzaballa was nominated as Custos of the Holy Land for the first time in May 2004, for a period of six years.
In May 2010 he was reconfirmed by the Minister General of the Order of Friars Minor, for another mandate of three years, and in June 2013 for a further mandate of three years.
Nomination as Apostolic Administrator of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem
On June 24, 2016, having accepted the resignation of His Beatitude Patriarch Fouad Twal who had reached the legal age, His Holiness Pope Francis appointed the Very Reverend Pierbattista Pizzaballa as Apostolic Administrator sede vacante of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, until the appointment of a new Patriarch.
On July 15, 2016, during a meeting of the Latin Patriarchate Advisory Board, His Beatitude Patriarch Fouad Twal, Latin Patriarch Emeritus of Jerusalem, handed over his powers to Archbishop-designate Pierbattista Pizzaballa, new Apostolic Administrator, according to the decree of nomination issued by Pope Francis.
The Episcopal Ordination of Very Rev. Pizzaballa took place in September 2016, in Bergamo, Italia.
Publications:
-“La presenza francescana in Terra Santa”. Franciscan Printing Press, 2005, ISBN 978-88-6-24000-91
-“Terra Santa”, interview with Giorgio Acquaviva, Editrice La Scuola, Brescia, 2008, ISBN 978-88-35023-142
-“Le comunità cristiane in Medio Oriente oggi. Dialogo fra le giovani generazioni come unica possibile futura via di distensione”, Pierbattista Pizzaballa-Euntes Docete-LXIV-3-201, Editrice Urbaniana University Press 978-88-401-4041-4
-“Il Custode di Terra Santa – un colloquio con padre Pierbattista Pizzaballa”, Piergiorgio Pescali, ADDEditore, Torino, 2014, ISBN 978-88-67830756
-“Il potere del cuore. Il Medio Oriente nel racconto del Custode di Terra Santa”, Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Edizioni Terra Santa, Milano, Year of Publication 2016 ISBN 978-88-6240-379-5
Honorific decorations:
-Conventual Chaplain Grand Cross ad honorem of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. 21 February 2013
-Commander of the Order of the Star of Italy (ex Stella della solidarietà italiana). 12 January 2007
-Grand Official of the Order of the Star of Italy (ex Stella della solidarietà italiana). 25 May 2015
-Grand Commander of the Orthodox Order of Cross-Bearers of the Holy Sepulchre. 30 May 2016
His Beatitude Michel Sabbah
Latin Patriarch Emeritus of Jerusalem
His Beatitude Michel Sabbah
His Beatitude Michel Sabbah has been the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem since 1987. The Latin Patriarch is the bishop of those Middle Eastern Catholics who follow the Western Catholic liturgy. H.B. Sabbah was born in Nazareth, studied at the Latin Patriarchate Seminary in Beit Jala and was ordained in Nazareth in 1955. He received his doctorate in Arab philology from the Sorbonne. During his priesthood, he has served in parishes in the diocese, as the diocesan youth director and the director of education and as the President of Bethlehem University.
His Beatitude Gregorios III
Melkite-Greek Catholic Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, of Alexandria and of Jerusalem
His Beatitude Gregorios III
Melkite-Greek Catholic Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, of Alexandria and of Jerusalem
His Beatitude Gregorios III was born in Daria, Syria. He received his Ph.D. in Eastern Theology sciences in 1961 from the Pontifical Institute for Eastern Studies in Rome and was assigned as a parish priest at Grotto Frata in 1959. After returning to Lebanon, he was appointed Director of the Higher Theology Institute in Deik Mukhalis and in the Kasleek University near Beirut. He established a magazine specializing in Eastern Ecumenical Studies, entitled Unity in Faith, in 1962 and organized the first conference to include the Greek Orthodox and Greek Catholic rites in Beirut in 1972. In 1974, he was invested by H.B. Maxemius V as Archbishop of Jerusalem.
HB Patriarch Archbishop Nourhan Manougian
Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem
HB Patriarch Archbishop Nourhan Manougian
Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem
Archbishop Nourhan Manougian (baptismal name Boghos) was born in Aleppo, Syria on 22 July 1948. He received his primary education in the Haigazian School of Aleppo. In 1961, he entered the Theological Seminary of Antellias to begin his theological education, and in 1966, he entered the Jarangavortz Theological Seminary of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem. On 27 July 1968 he was ordained to the diaconate. He was ordained a celibate priest by then Patriarch of Jerusalem Yeghishй Derderian in 1971 and was given the priestly name of Nourhan. Following his ordination, he was appointed to serve as the Vice Dean of entered the Jarangavortz Theological Seminary from 1971 to 1972. In 1975 he was named as the Dean of the Seminary.
In 1972 and 1973, Father Nourhan continued his pastoral mission and served as the spiritual pastor of the Armenian faithful in Geneva, Switzerland. Father Nourhan received the rank of Archimandrite (Vardapet) in 1973. Following his service in Europe, he returned to the Middle East and from 1974 to 1980 served as the spiritual pastor of the Armenian community of Haifa, Israel. In 1980, upon the invitation of then Archbishop Torkom Manoogian, he left for New York, New York and entered the General Theological Seminary, where he furthered his theological education. He graduated in 1983.
Remaining in the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America, he served as the spiritual pastor of the St. Gevork Church in Houston, Texas in 1994. In 1998, he returned to Jerusalem where he served as the Grand Sacristan of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Read more
H.E. Bishop Munib A. Younan
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land. President of LWF
Right Rev. Munib A. Younan
President of the Lutheran World Federation and Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land
Bishop Younan was born in Jerusalem. He earned his Masters Degree in Theology from Helsinki University and has served as pastor of numerous churches in Palestine. He is one of the co-founders of Al-Liqa Center for Religious Studies in Jerusalem and President of the Board of Managers of the International Christian Committee (ICC) in Jerusalem. Bishop Younan has also served on several international committees for religious and charitable organizations.
H.E. Bishop Suheil Dawani
Episcopal Church of Jerusalem
His Excellency Bishop Suheil Dawani
Bishop Suheil Dawani was born in Nablus-West Bank and married to Shafeeqa Fu’ad Massad; they have three daughters: Sama, Tala and Luban. He completed his primary and secondary education in Nablus, obtaining his AA from Bir-Zeit College (1973) and BTH from the New East School of Theology in Beirut (1975). In 1976, he was ordained as deacon and in 1977, ordained to priesthood, serving Ramallah and Bir-Zeit parishes in the West Bank.
Most Rev. Robert J. Carlson
Archbishop of St. Louis, MO
Most Reverend Robert J. Carlson
Archbishop of St. Louis, MO
The Most Rev. Robert J. Carlson is the Archbishop of St. Louis, MO. He was appointed successor to Archbishop Raymond L. Burke of St. Louis by Pope Benedict XVI on April 21, 2009. Previously, he served as the fifth bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Saginaw following his consecration a bishop in 2005 at the direction of the late Pope John Paul II. A native of Minneapolis, MN, he was ordained to the priesthood on May 23, 1970 for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. He was later ordained as auxiliary bishop on January 11, 1984 and went on to serve as Bishop of Sioux Falls, S.D. from 1994 to 2005. Archbishop Carlson earned a BA in Philosophy and a MA in Divinity from St. Paul Seminary in 1966 and 1976, respectively. He received the Licentiate in Canon Law from the Catholic University of America in 1979 and is the recipient of numerous awards, including the 1998 Humanitarian of the Year Award, South Dakota Right to Life; the Cosmopolitan Club of Sioux Falls Distinguished Service Award in 2002; and The Institute for Priestly Formation, Our Lady of Guadalupe Award in 2003. He received the Father Pat Mackan Award, Inclusive Catholic Education in 2006. Archbishop Carlson serves in various capacities on the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). He is currently the Chair-Elect for its Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations. He is a member of the Canon Law Society of America, Board Member of the International Dominican Foundation and Board Member, Los Cabos Children’s Foundation. He is Knight Commander, Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. In 2004, he was appointed Honorary Canon by the Patriarch of Jerusalem for the Church of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem and established the Pacem in Terris Religious Community in Colombia, South America.
HE Archb. Atallah Hanna
Archbishop of Sebaste
Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem
His Excellency Archbishop Theodosius (Atallah) Hanna
Born in 1965 in the Galilean village of Al Rameh, Theodosius (Atallah) Hanna attended local primary and secondary schools before entering the Clerical Patriarchate School in Jerusalem. He matriculated in 1983 at Thessalonica University in Greece in the Faculty of Theology. After graduating with honors, he went on to complete a master’s degree and doctorate. In 1991, he was ordained as a deacon and priest in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. The late Patriarch Diodoros invested him as Archimandrite, and shortly thereafter he was appointed Head of the Arabic Department for the Orthodox Patriarchate in Jerusalem, in which office he acted as a spokesman for the Orthodox Church in Jerusalem and the Holy Land. In addition to these commitments and responsibilities, he also served as preacher in the Patriarchate churches.
H.E. Bishop Barry C. Knestout
Auxiliary Bishiop of Washington
Bishop Barry C.Knestout
The Rt. Rev. Barry C. Knestout is the Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Washington, DC. He is a native of Maryland born into a family of eight siblings. His early childhood was spent in Ankara, Turkey. Following ordination to the priesthood in 1989, he served as parochial vicar at St. Bartholomew in Bethesda and St. Peter in Waldorf before being named priest-secretary to the late Cardinal James A. Hickey in 1994. He later served in that role under Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick until 2004. Named a monsignor by Pope John Paul II in 1999, he has served the Archdiocese in various capacities including executive director of the Office of Youth Ministry/CYO, secretary for Pastoral Ministry and Social Concerns and pastor of St. John the Evangelist Parish in Silver Spring. In 2007, he was named moderator of the curia and vicar for administration assisting Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl. In November 2008, he was named Auxiliary Bishop by Pope Benedict XVI and received his Episcopal ordination under Cardinal Wuerl the following December.
Bishop Knestout holds a BA in Architecture from the University of Maryland, a Master in Divinity and a MA in Moral Theology, both from Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, MD. He is a member of the Knights of Columbus (4th Degree), the Order of Malta and the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. He is a member of the Administrative Board of the Maryland Catholic Conference and the Episcopal Moderator of the American Catholic Correctional Chaplains Association.
Rev. Dr. Fahed Abu-Akel
Ph.D., Presbyterian Church USA, GA
Rev. Dr. Fahed Abu-Akel
Rev. Abu-Akel was elected in 2002 as Moderator of the 214th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church. He was born in Kuffer-Yassif, Galilee, Palestine to Arab Christian Palestinian parents in 1944. He received his Doctor of Ministry at the McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago, his Master of Divinity from Columbia Theological Seminary in Atlanta and is a graduate of the Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Lakeland, FL. Rev. Abu-Akel is the founder and executive director of the Atlanta Ministry with International Students, Inc. as well as a pastor at the First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta.
H.E. Archbishop Sergio Abad
The Antiochian Orthodox Church in Chile
H.E. Archbishop Sergio Abad
Musa Nasir, M.D.
M Y Nasir Inc.
Musa Nasir, M.D.
Dr. Nasir is a physician specializing in family medicine and surgery. He is the medical director and a founding member of the Pacific Independent Physicians Association in Los Angeles and director of the Foundation Laboratory. He earned his MS in Biochemistry and Bacteriology from the University of South Dakota and his MD from the University of Texas. He has held many positions in medical organizations in addition to maintaining his private practice. Dr. Nasir founded the Birzeit Society, which provides medical and educational help in Palestine. He is also on the board of the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, which brings children to the U.S. for medical care.
Rev. Samer Azar
President of the ELCJHL synod
Rev. Samer Azar
Pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd- Amman/ Jordan
Rev. Samer Azar has been the Pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Good Shepherd Church in Amman, Jordan since his appointment there in 1996, and is currently the representative of the Lutheran Church in Jordan. He was educated at the Makumira Lutheran Theological Seminary in Tanzania, and was ordained at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Jerusalem on September 6, 1996.
Rev. Azar has long been active in ecumenical and interfaith circles. In 2007, he established the Community Ecumenical Center (Al Khaimeh) to promote harmony, coexistence and dialogue among Christian communities, and he has participated in several local, regional and international conferences in his capacity as founder.
In addition to having recently been elected as the Synod President of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL), he also serves as member of the Executive Committee (Church Council) of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land ELCJHL, of the Administrative Committee of the Bible Society of Jordan, of the Board of Schneller School in Amman belonging to the Anglican Church, and of the General Committee of the Department Service for Palestinian Refugees (DSPR/MECC).
Raja Khoury
President, Pillar Construction
Raja Khoury
Raja Khoury is the Founding President of Pillar Construction, a national company with offices in DC, Boston, Houston, and Orlando. He is a graduate of the renowned Ecole National des Travaux Publics in France, from where he holds a BS and MS degree in Engineering, awarded in 1984 and 1985, respectively. He also holds a degree in Construction Management awarded in 1988 from the George Washington University in DC.
Albert Mokhiber, Esq.
Partner, Law Offices of Mokhiber & Moretti, LLC
Albert Mokhiber
Vice Chairman of the Board of ADC, Mr. Mokhiber served as ADC President for four years, from 1990 to 1994. He began his tenure at the ADC National Office in 1984 as Director of Legal Services. Mr. Mokhiber took ADC to the Supreme Court in the landmark case of St. Francis College v. Al-Khazraji, the first time an Arab-Westerncame before the Supreme Court. A graduate of the State University of New York at Buffalo Law School, Mr. Mokhiber is now practicing law in the Washington, D.C. area and continues to be active in Arab-Western affairs.
Rev. M. Craig Barnes, PhD.
President, Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, NJ
Rev. M. Craig Barnes, PhD.
M. Craig Barnes is the seventh president of Princeton Theological Seminary. He began his presidency in January 2013, and also serves as professor of pastoral ministry. He earned his Master of Divinity degree from Princeton Seminary in 1981 and his Ph.D. in church history from the University of Chicago in 1992.
Dr. Claudette Habesch
Former Secretary General, CARITAS Jerusalem
Dr. Claudette Habesch
Mrs. Claudette Habesch, born in Jerusalem, attended the Notre Dame de Sion School completing the London Matriculation. She studied at the Beirut College for Women and receiving a BA in Social Work, followed by internship in medical social work at the American University Hospital in Beirut.
George R. Salem, Esq.
Law Offices of George R. Salem, PLLC
George R. Salem, Esq.
George R. Salem established the Law Offices of George R. Salem, PLLC in January 2005. In November 2005, he entered into a relationship as Strategic Advisor with DLA Piper US LLP, where he focused on assisting in the development of the firm’s Middle East and U.S. Department of Labor practices.From 1990-2004, Mr. Salem was a partner at the law firm of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer Feld, LLP, where he headed that firm’s Middle East and U.S. DOL practices. Throughout the course of his career, Mr. Salem has negotiated some of the most significant settlements in the field of labor law, including the resolution of all pending ERISA cases against the Teamsters’ Central States Pension Fund, the E.O. 11246 discrimination case against Harris Trust and Savings Bank and several major OSHA and FLSA settlements, including the major FLSA settlement involving Food Lion.
Fr. Emil Salayta
President, Latin Patriarchate Ecc. Court. HCEF Co-Founder
Fr. Emil Salayta
01.06.1964 : born in Madaba (Jordan).
1976 : joined the Lower Seminary in Beit Jala, on recommendation of Parish Priest Fr Fuad Hijazin.
29.06.1989 : ordained priest in Madaba (Jordan) at the hands of H.E Msgr Salim Sayegh.
07/1989 : Assistant to Christ the King Parish at al-Misdar, Amman ; military service.
09/1991 : tutor at Beit Jala Seminary.
10.04.1992 : Parish Priest of Jifna (Palestine) ; Director Al Ahliyah School Ramallah.
08/1994 : Parish priest of the parish of Bir Zeit, and General Director of the Latin Patriarchate schools in Palestine, Israel
1998 : New nomination as General Director of the Latin Patriarchate schools in Jordan besides to his capacity in Bir Zeit and the schools in Palestine.
07/2000 : left Bir Zeit Parish ; took charge of al Wasiyah school in Wassieh – Kerak in Jordan.
011/2001 : Sent to study Canon Law at Latran University, Rome by His Beatitude Msgr. Sabbah.
05/2005 : Finished his MA in Canon law and International Law. He was asked to come back by HB Sabbah to assist at the Ecclesiastic Court in Jerusalem.
08/2006 : Nominated as Pastor of St. Joseph parish in Jifna, and assistant judge at the Latin Patriarchate Ecclesiastic court.
08/2009 : Nomination as Judicial Vicar of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem in Jerusalem and Nazareth until now.
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Archb. Vicken Aykazian
Legate, Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Orthodox Church of America
Archbishop Vicken Aykazian
Council Member, World Council of Churches
Archbishop Vicken Aykazian serves as the Legate of the Eastern Diocese. Most recently, he also served as President of the National Council of Churches USA (NCC). Archbishop Aykazian was born in Siirt, Turkey, in 1951. He studied theology at the Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem and was ordained a deacon in 1968, becoming a celibate priest in 1971. In 1992, His Holiness Vasken I, the late Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of all Armenians, ordained him a bishop.
Mr. Nicola S. Khamis
Mayor of Beit Jala
Mr. Nicola S. Khamis
Deputy Mayer of Beit Jala – Consulate of the Republic of Honduras in Palestine.
Nicola S. Khamis was born in Beit Jala in 1960. At the age of 17, he started working at his family’s small grocery. By 1980, he succeeded in obtaining & being the sole distributer for TNUVA dairy plus products in the West Bank & Gaza Strip in Palestine. After many years of hard work, he established nine companies that deal with different products such as dairy, cleaning materials, beverages, soft drinks, ice cream, cosmetics and detergents as well two modern factories: one for sweet deserts and the other for detergents. In 2006, he was elected to be a member & the Deputy Mayor of Beit Jala Municipality, and in 2010, he had the honor of being the honorary consulate of the Republic of Honduras in Palestine. He is married with six children.
Adel Turjuman
Director, Inversiones Contempo, Guatemala
Mr. Adel Turjuman
Entreprenuer, President of the Arab Guatemalan Association and President of the Palestinian Guatemalan Federation
Adel Turjuman was born in Jerusalem, Palestine on June 24, 1955. He was still living in Palestine for the war of 1967. In 1970, he decided to move to Guatemala in search of better opportunities. When he first arrived to Guatemala, he entered high school to finish his degree. After graduation, he started his business of import and export, which is still operating today.
Two years later he and his brother founded a textile factory by the name of Dariotext and he moved to Italy for some time to specialize in the textile industry. The industry in Guatemala was growing and there was a lot of competition. The brothers decided to enter agriculture, producing coffee and cardamom for export. They also founded started a real estate business, building houses as well as buildings with office and commerce spaces.
In 1988, they acquired the majority of the shares for a bank in Guatemala, Banco Inmobiliario. Mr. Turjuman has been part of the board of directors since 1988 and president of the bank since 1998. He is also president of the Arab Guatemalan Association and president of the Palestinian Guatemalan Federation. Today, he is a well-known entrepreneur who has invested in countries worldwide and plans to continue expanding.
Drew Christiansen, S.J.
Distinguished Professor, Georgetown University. HCEF Co-founder
Drew Christiansen, S.J.
Ghazi Hanania
Former member for the Palestinian Legislative Council
Ghazi Hanania
It is with great pleasure that the Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation welcomes Dr. Ghazi Hanania, a committed ally of the cause for many years, to the HCEF Advisory Board! It is of particular importance to us to be joined by a politically active Palestinian Christian who has done so much to build up the state of Palestine. As the first Christian to gain the post of Deputy Speaker for the Palestinian Legislative Council (the highest post any Christian has held in Palestinian government) , Dr. Ghazi serves as an inspiration to us all. He has valiantly stood up human rights and for Palestinian Christians in particular.
Dr. Hanania has been instrumental in facilitating many of HCEF’s initiatives in the Holy Land, arranging for Sir Rateb Rabie to meet with the Palestinian Authority in order to discuss the challenges facing Palestinian Christians in Palestine and in the Diaspora. He currently chairs the Board of the Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedom, serves as Vice President of the Palestine Medical Complex, and is a member of the Board of Directors at Arab Investors PLC and Ramallah Summer Resorts Co and Yaser Arafat Foundation as well as the board of trustees of Al-Quds University. This experience, network, and expertise make him a valuable member of the HCEF Advisory Board.
Khalil E. Jahshan
Executive Director. Arab Center, USA