Thursday 27th May, 2010. Mons. William Shomali, the new Bishop for the Diocese of Jerusalem was consecrated today with the Patriarch Fuad Twal together with Mons. Salim Sayegh, Auxiliary Bishop and Patriarchal Vicar for Jordan, and Mons. Giacinto-Boulos Marcuzzo, Auxiliary Bishop and Patriarchal Vicar for Israel laying hands on him.
The ten or so bishops present also included Mons. Antonio Franco, Nuncio and Apostolic Delegate, Mons. Sabbah, Emeritus Patriarch, Mons. Maroun Lahham and all the Ordinaries of the Holy Land.
The representatives of all the Churches of the Holy Land were also seated in the choir, which was too small to accommodate all the priests in attendance. Even the nave of the church turned out to be too small to hold the large crowd of the faithful who had come to take part in this important moment in the life of the diocese.
But thanks to the live broadcast by the Lebanese TV Noursat TeleLumière, with the technical means and crew of the Franciscan Media Center, all the faithful throughout the Middle East were able to join in this celebration.
In his homily, the Patriarch emphasized the fact that this consecration comes “at the end of the Year for Priests, as an encouragement and a consolation in a time when violet attacks have discredited priestly celibacy. In this context,” he added, “the consecration of Mons. William as bishop invites us to pray for priests all over the world and ask the Lord for more priestly and religious vocations.”
The celebration took place entirely in Arabic and Mons. Fuad, again in his homily, also remarked that Mons. Shomali “out of love for the Liturgy has translated prayers, hymns of the Holy Mass, the Sacraments and other celebrations into Arabic.”
Underlining the extraordinary faith that the Shomali family has shown for generations, His Beatitude said, addressing the assembly, that there was already a Shomali who was a bishop: “The first was Mons. Fernando Shomali, the current auxiliary bishop of Santiago, who belongs to a Palestinian family who emigrated several decades ago to Chile.”
This new ordination makes Shomali the third Palestinian bishop serving in office at present, together with Mons. Michel Sabbah, Emeritus Patriarch and Mons. Maroun Lahham, Bishop of Tunis.
Mons. Twal concluded his homily evoking the role of the bishop: “The episcopate is not a higher social class, which is entitled to certain “privileges”. It is a “ministry”. a service and an important responsibility, which includes incomprehension, refusal and persecution in various forms. The bishop has the responsibility of announcing the Gospel and watching over his flock. He also has to keep the heritage of the faith staunch, to transmit the grace of the priesthood through laying hands, to sanctify the community through the sacraments and to give a good example to all.”
Appointed by Pope Benedict XVI at the end of March, Mons. Shomali, aged 60, will assist Mons. Twal in a diocese that covers three countries (Israel, Jordan and Cyprus), as well as the Palestinian Territories and which has about 70,000 Latin Catholics.
The auxiliary bishop will attend in particular to the Holy City. For good reason, Mons. Shomali has chosen “Ask for peace for Jerusalem” as the motto for his appointment.
He has promised to “reinforce the ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue and to work for peace and reconciliation in this Holy Land worn out by a conflict that has lasted centuries.”
At the end of the celebration, the faithful were able to greet the new bishop, who will celebrate his first Mass in Beit Sahur on Friday 28th May. He will also preside at the Mass of Corpous Christi at the Holy Sepulchre on 4th June, which will conclude the Year for Priests in Jerusalem.
Mab
Website of the Latin Patriarchate: Mgr William Shomali, new ausiliary Bishop of Jerusalem
The ten or so bishops present also included Mons. Antonio Franco, Nuncio and Apostolic Delegate, Mons. Sabbah, Emeritus Patriarch, Mons. Maroun Lahham and all the Ordinaries of the Holy Land.
The representatives of all the Churches of the Holy Land were also seated in the choir, which was too small to accommodate all the priests in attendance. Even the nave of the church turned out to be too small to hold the large crowd of the faithful who had come to take part in this important moment in the life of the diocese.
But thanks to the live broadcast by the Lebanese TV Noursat TeleLumière, with the technical means and crew of the Franciscan Media Center, all the faithful throughout the Middle East were able to join in this celebration.
In his homily, the Patriarch emphasized the fact that this consecration comes “at the end of the Year for Priests, as an encouragement and a consolation in a time when violet attacks have discredited priestly celibacy. In this context,” he added, “the consecration of Mons. William as bishop invites us to pray for priests all over the world and ask the Lord for more priestly and religious vocations.”
The celebration took place entirely in Arabic and Mons. Fuad, again in his homily, also remarked that Mons. Shomali “out of love for the Liturgy has translated prayers, hymns of the Holy Mass, the Sacraments and other celebrations into Arabic.”
Underlining the extraordinary faith that the Shomali family has shown for generations, His Beatitude said, addressing the assembly, that there was already a Shomali who was a bishop: “The first was Mons. Fernando Shomali, the current auxiliary bishop of Santiago, who belongs to a Palestinian family who emigrated several decades ago to Chile.”
This new ordination makes Shomali the third Palestinian bishop serving in office at present, together with Mons. Michel Sabbah, Emeritus Patriarch and Mons. Maroun Lahham, Bishop of Tunis.
Mons. Twal concluded his homily evoking the role of the bishop: “The episcopate is not a higher social class, which is entitled to certain “privileges”. It is a “ministry”. a service and an important responsibility, which includes incomprehension, refusal and persecution in various forms. The bishop has the responsibility of announcing the Gospel and watching over his flock. He also has to keep the heritage of the faith staunch, to transmit the grace of the priesthood through laying hands, to sanctify the community through the sacraments and to give a good example to all.”
Appointed by Pope Benedict XVI at the end of March, Mons. Shomali, aged 60, will assist Mons. Twal in a diocese that covers three countries (Israel, Jordan and Cyprus), as well as the Palestinian Territories and which has about 70,000 Latin Catholics.
The auxiliary bishop will attend in particular to the Holy City. For good reason, Mons. Shomali has chosen “Ask for peace for Jerusalem” as the motto for his appointment.
He has promised to “reinforce the ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue and to work for peace and reconciliation in this Holy Land worn out by a conflict that has lasted centuries.”
At the end of the celebration, the faithful were able to greet the new bishop, who will celebrate his first Mass in Beit Sahur on Friday 28th May. He will also preside at the Mass of Corpous Christi at the Holy Sepulchre on 4th June, which will conclude the Year for Priests in Jerusalem.
Mab
Website of the Latin Patriarchate: Mgr William Shomali, new ausiliary Bishop of Jerusalem