Mar Ephrem Joseph Younan, bishop of the diocese of Our Lady of Deliverance for the United States and Canada, is the new patriarch of the Syrian Catholic Church. Those words were stated by the synod of the Syrian Catholic Church yesterday. The new patriarch, coming after Mar Ignace Pierre VIII Abdel-Ahad who has resigned, will be named Mar Ignatius Joseph III Younan. The piece of news was made known by the site Baghdadhope, according to which tomorrow the new patriarch is meeting Benedict XVI. Moreover, a ceremony is scheduled at the patriarchal seat in Lebanon, in mid February. Ephrem Joseph F. Younan was born on 15th November 1944 in Hassakeh, Syria. He was ordained priest on 12th September 1971; in 1986 he was given the task of creating a mission for Syrian Catholics in the area of New York/New Jersey, establishing the first mission of Our Lady of Deliverance. In 1988, he was appointed coordinator by the Congregation for Oriental Churches, among the missionary brothers in the United States and in Canada, and in 1991 he was appointed Apostolic Delegate by the same Congregation, to represent it and present the Syrian rite to the bishops of North America. In June 1991, he became chorepiscope, and on 6th November 1995, John Paul II appointed him first bishop of the newborn diocese (eparchy) of Our Lady of Deliverance for Syrian Catholics in the United States and Canada. He speaks Arabian, Aramaic, French, English, Italian and German.
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