Mar Raphael I Bidawid

St Mary Assyrian Chaldean Catholic Church of San Jose

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St Mary Assyrian Chaldean Catholic Church of San Jose: Mar Raphael I Bidawid

His Holiness passed away in Beirut, Lebanon, on July7th 2003 at the age of 81.: His Beatitude was born in Nineveh (Mosul, Iraq) on April 17, 1922. He initiated his preparation to the priesthood at the Patriarchal Seminary in Mosul in September, 1933. After three years in seminary he was chosen to be sent to Rome to study Philosophy and Theology. He was ordained priest in October, 1944. He earned two Ph.D., one in Philosophy and another in Theology. In 1947, he left Rome and went back to Mosul to serve his church and his Assyrian and Chaldean nation. In 1956, he was appointed Patriarchal Vicar for the diocese of Kirkuk, Iraq. In 1957, he was elected Bishop of Amadya (north Iraq). He was ordained Bishop by Mar Yousif VII Ghanima on October 6, 1957. He started working in his diocese in Amadya and he was the youngest bishop in the world at that time (35 years old).
On May 15, 1989, the Chaldean Bishops started their Holy Synod at the Seminary in Baghdad to elect new Patriarch to succeed Mar Pulus II Chekho who passed away on April 13, 1989. On May 21, 1989, they elected Mar Raphael to be the Patriarch. His ordination on May 29, 1989 was a huge ceremony. There were more than ten thousands people present. On November 9, 1989, he received the "PALLIUM" (sign of authority) from the Holy Father, John Paul II, in Rome.

This is major loss for our people, his Holiness is deepely missed, we are in deep sorrow of this news.


	St Mary Assyrian Chaldean Catholic Church of San Jose cheap hotel in Bergen 109 North First Street, Campbell, CA 95008

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