Shafaq News- Baghdad

Bishop Emil Shimoun Nona was elected on Sunday as the new patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church in Iraq and worldwide, stepping into the role after the resignation of Louis Raphael Sako.

A statement from the synod’s secretariat indicated that the vote adhered to established church procedures. Following his election, Emil Shimoun Nona took the name His Beatitude Patriarch Mar Paul III Nona.

On March 10, Cardinal Sako stepped down after 13 years in the post, choosing to dedicate his time to prayer and writing.

Who is Emil Shimoun Nona

Born in 1968 in Alqosh, northern Iraq, Nona is a prominent figure within the Chaldean Catholic Church. He previously served as Archbishop of Mosul, where he led the local Christian community during one of its most challenging periods, particularly amid the 2014 rise of ISIS and the displacement of thousands of Christians from the city and surrounding areas.

He later assumed the role of Apostolic Visitor for Chaldean Catholics in Europe, broadening his pastoral responsibilities across diaspora communities.