New Chaldean patriarch elected for Iraq

Iraqi Archbishop Amel Shamon Nona has been elected patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church, taking the name Paul III and succeeding Cardinal Louis Sako. 

The election took place April 12 during a synod in Rome. 

Born in Iraq’s Nineveh Plains, Nona became the youngest Chaldean archbishop in 2010 and later led the Archdiocese of Mosul before being displaced by ISIS in 2014. Known for pastoral closeness and resilience, he now steps into leadership at a critical moment for Middle Eastern Christians. 

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Ahead of the vote, Pope Leo XIV urged bishops to choose a patriarch rooted in faith, humility and service, emphasizing that “love is the only force that conquers evil.” The daily holiness to which the future patriarch is called, the Pope said, is “made of honesty, mercy and purity of heart,” reminding the bishops that “authority in the Church is always service and never hegemony.” 

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The Chaldean Church carries apostolic traditions “intimately linked to the places of salvation’s origin,” the Pope said. 

Other Church leaders and Iraqi officials welcomed the election, expressing hope for unity, stability and renewed cooperation among Eastern Churches in a region still marked by conflict.

A version of this article appeared in the April 19, 2026 issue of The Catholic Register with the headline "New Chaldean patriarch elected for Iraq"