Bishop William Hanna Shomali -- Auxiliary Bishop of Jerusalem. A long and warm applause welcomed the new bishop. Appointed by the Holy Father as the Auxiliary Bishop of Jerusalem on March 31st, William …More
Bishop William Hanna Shomali -- Auxiliary Bishop of Jerusalem.
A long and warm applause welcomed the new bishop. Appointed by the Holy Father as the Auxiliary Bishop of Jerusalem on March 31st, William Hanna Shomali was consecrated bishop by Archbishop Fouad Twal, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, on May 27th in the Basilica of St. Catherine in Bethlehem. Great esteem and deep affection towards the new bishop, who up till now has been "abuna William" to everyone. This same esteem and affection was also expressed by the large participation of clergy and people, 16 bishops, more than 100 priests and at least 1600 people ... there were also representatives of other Christian churches and even the civil authorities, mayors and consuls .... not counting those who followed the celebration thanks to the live television Telelumiere and Telepace, made possible by the Franciscan Media Center. Bishop Shomali, 60, was a pastor in Jordan, Rector of the Seminary of Jerusalem and Director General of the Latin Patriarchate. Now, the third Palestinian bishop in history, he has chosen the motto "pray for peace for Jerusalem", and will be appointed to assist Msgr. Twal in the care of the diocese of Jerusalem, which covers three countries (Israel, Jordan and Cyprus), in addition to the Palestinian Territories. The solemn moments of the ceremony such as the invocation of the saints, the prayer of consecration, the investiture with the ring, miter and staff invoked deep and sincere emotion among all gathered. In his homily, Bishop Twal stressed the value of the episcopate is not a higher social class, linked to certain "privileges" - but a ministry, a service, and a heavy responsibility where the misunderstanding, rejection and persecution in various forms abound. The bishop has the responsibility to proclaim the Gospel and to watch over the flock entrusted to him. "Dear Sayyedna William, - continued the Patriarch - in our Patriarchate is the" narrow gate "mentioned in the Gospel, the Via Dolorosa, as well as the walls of separation of every kind. You are at the service of this beloved country where the majority of its Christian citizens, unfortunately, have already begun to abandon the holiest sites of our redemption ... " Moved by the words of gratitude of the newly consecrated bishop: "My soul magnifies the Lord - he says - the very words of the song of Mary today resound in my heart, on this special day with these special people. The Lord has done wonders, despite my weakness. I'm just a guitar in the hands of a great musician ... " Emotion and gratitude even infiltrated the short jokes that escaped our microphone at the end of the celebration. "I thank the Lord, the Holy Father, the Patriarch and all those who are present here today... I count on your support in the future... Thank you!"
A long and warm applause welcomed the new bishop. Appointed by the Holy Father as the Auxiliary Bishop of Jerusalem on March 31st, William Hanna Shomali was consecrated bishop by Archbishop Fouad Twal, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, on May 27th in the Basilica of St. Catherine in Bethlehem. Great esteem and deep affection towards the new bishop, who up till now has been "abuna William" to everyone. This same esteem and affection was also expressed by the large participation of clergy and people, 16 bishops, more than 100 priests and at least 1600 people ... there were also representatives of other Christian churches and even the civil authorities, mayors and consuls .... not counting those who followed the celebration thanks to the live television Telelumiere and Telepace, made possible by the Franciscan Media Center. Bishop Shomali, 60, was a pastor in Jordan, Rector of the Seminary of Jerusalem and Director General of the Latin Patriarchate. Now, the third Palestinian bishop in history, he has chosen the motto "pray for peace for Jerusalem", and will be appointed to assist Msgr. Twal in the care of the diocese of Jerusalem, which covers three countries (Israel, Jordan and Cyprus), in addition to the Palestinian Territories. The solemn moments of the ceremony such as the invocation of the saints, the prayer of consecration, the investiture with the ring, miter and staff invoked deep and sincere emotion among all gathered. In his homily, Bishop Twal stressed the value of the episcopate is not a higher social class, linked to certain "privileges" - but a ministry, a service, and a heavy responsibility where the misunderstanding, rejection and persecution in various forms abound. The bishop has the responsibility to proclaim the Gospel and to watch over the flock entrusted to him. "Dear Sayyedna William, - continued the Patriarch - in our Patriarchate is the" narrow gate "mentioned in the Gospel, the Via Dolorosa, as well as the walls of separation of every kind. You are at the service of this beloved country where the majority of its Christian citizens, unfortunately, have already begun to abandon the holiest sites of our redemption ... " Moved by the words of gratitude of the newly consecrated bishop: "My soul magnifies the Lord - he says - the very words of the song of Mary today resound in my heart, on this special day with these special people. The Lord has done wonders, despite my weakness. I'm just a guitar in the hands of a great musician ... " Emotion and gratitude even infiltrated the short jokes that escaped our microphone at the end of the celebration. "I thank the Lord, the Holy Father, the Patriarch and all those who are present here today... I count on your support in the future... Thank you!"