Fouad Twal
Encyclopedia
Fouad Twal (born 23 October 1940 at Madaba
, Jordan
) is the Roman Catholic archbishop
and Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem
since June 2008.
He was ordained to the priesthood on 29 June 1966. After his ordination he was the vicar of Ramallah
. In 1972 he entered the Pontifical Lateran University
where he studied for a doctorate in canon law
. He was awarded his doctorate in 1975. He was appointed the prelate
of the territorial prelature of Tunis
by Pope John Paul II
on 30 May 1992. He was consecrated to the episcopate on 22 July later that year. In 1995, the territorial prelature was elevated to become the Diocese of Tunis, and Twal was made an archbishop
ad personam. In 2005, Pope Benedict XVI
named him the coadjutor archbishop
of Jerusalem. He succeeded Michel Sabbah
as the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem
in 2008.
On 29 June 2008, Fouad Twal received the pallium
at the hands of Pope Benedict XVI at a Mass in the Basilica of Saint Peter.
In 2008, he explained his understanding of the situation of Palestine and its people: "We receive a lot of help and we are grateful but at the same time we say we need more. What we need is peace. We don’t only want to be a begging Church, we don't want to be beggars with a licence. I don't like this. We need a political horizon, it's time to put an end to the Wall, the Checkpoints, it's time for a Palestinian State, it's time for an end to our problems with visa's." On 7 March 2009 Pope Benedict appointed Patriarch Twal as a member of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches
.
Madaba
Madaba , is the capital city of Madaba Governorate of Jordan, which has a population of about 60,000. Madaba is the fifth most populous town in Jordan. It is best known for its Byzantine and Umayyad mosaics, especially a large Byzantine-era mosaic map of The Holy Land...
, Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
) is the Roman Catholic archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
and Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem
Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem
The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem is the title possessed by the Latin Rite Catholic Archbishop of Jerusalem. The Archdiocese of Jerusalem has jurisdiction for all Latin Rite Catholics in Israel, the Palestinian Territories, Jordan and Cyprus...
since June 2008.
He was ordained to the priesthood on 29 June 1966. After his ordination he was the vicar of Ramallah
Ramallah
Ramallah is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank located 10 kilometers north of Jerusalem, adjacent to al-Bireh. It currently serves as the de facto administrative capital of the Palestinian National Authority...
. In 1972 he entered the Pontifical Lateran University
Pontifical Lateran University
The Pontifical Lateran University is a university by pontifical right based in Rome, Italy. The university also hosts the central session of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family...
where he studied for a doctorate in canon law
Canon law
Canon law is the body of laws & regulations made or adopted by ecclesiastical authority, for the government of the Christian organization and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law governing the Catholic Church , the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, and the Anglican Communion of...
. He was awarded his doctorate in 1975. He was appointed the prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
of the territorial prelature of Tunis
Tunis
Tunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants....
by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
on 30 May 1992. He was consecrated to the episcopate on 22 July later that year. In 1995, the territorial prelature was elevated to become the Diocese of Tunis, and Twal was made an archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
ad personam. In 2005, Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
named him the coadjutor archbishop
Coadjutor bishop
A coadjutor bishop is a bishop in the Roman Catholic or Anglican churches who is designated to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese, almost as co-bishop of the diocese...
of Jerusalem. He succeeded Michel Sabbah
Michel Sabbah
Michel Sabbah was the Archbishop and Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem from 1987 to 2008.Sabbah began his priestly studies at the Latin Patriarchal Seminary of Beit Jala in October 1949 and was ordained a priest for the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem in June 1955. He was a parish priest for a few...
as the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem
Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem
The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem is the title possessed by the Latin Rite Catholic Archbishop of Jerusalem. The Archdiocese of Jerusalem has jurisdiction for all Latin Rite Catholics in Israel, the Palestinian Territories, Jordan and Cyprus...
in 2008.
On 29 June 2008, Fouad Twal received the pallium
Pallium
The pallium is an ecclesiastical vestment in the Roman Catholic Church, originally peculiar to the Pope, but for many centuries bestowed by him on metropolitans and primates as a symbol of the jurisdiction delegated to them by the Holy See. In that context it has always remained unambiguously...
at the hands of Pope Benedict XVI at a Mass in the Basilica of Saint Peter.
In 2008, he explained his understanding of the situation of Palestine and its people: "We receive a lot of help and we are grateful but at the same time we say we need more. What we need is peace. We don’t only want to be a begging Church, we don't want to be beggars with a licence. I don't like this. We need a political horizon, it's time to put an end to the Wall, the Checkpoints, it's time for a Palestinian State, it's time for an end to our problems with visa's." On 7 March 2009 Pope Benedict appointed Patriarch Twal as a member of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches
Congregation for the Oriental Churches
The Congregation for the Oriental Churches is the dicastery of the Roman Curia responsible for contact with the Eastern Catholic Churches for the sake of assisting their development, protecting their rights and also maintaining whole and entire in the one Catholic Church, alongside the liturgical,...
.
Sources
- Archbishop Faoud Twal; Catholic-Hierarchy.org; retrieved February 9, 2006.
- Photos of Fouad Twal (maXarios.com)
- http://212.77.1.245/news_services/bulletin/news/22329.php?index=22329&lang=en}