Vatican City, Aug 21, 2022 / 08:24 am
Pope Francis Saturday gave his assent to the new leader of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church in the United States.
The Melkite Greek Catholic Synod elected Father Francois Beyrouti, 51, eparchial bishop of Newton, the eparchy overseeing Melkite Greek Catholics in the U.S., in June. Pope Francis approved the election Aug. 20.
Pope Francis has also accepted the resignation of the 78-year-old Bishop Nicholas James Samra, who was bishop of the Eparchy of Newton since 2011.
Beyrouti was born in Hadeth-Beirut, Lebanon, in 1971. The bishop-elect’s family immigrated to Canada, to North Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1976.