Pierbattista Pizzaballa appointed to Jerusalem Catholic post
Pierbattista Pizzaballa, an Italian Franciscan known for being friendly toward Jewish people and Israel, now heads the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
The pope made him an archbishop and appointed him to the role of apostolic administrator for an area including Israel, Palestine, and Jordan—one of a handful of patriarchates in the Catholic Church. He took his post in late September. His predecessor, Fouad Twal, had reached the retirement age of 75.
Pizzaballa holds the role until the pope chooses a new patriarch, though there is no specified length of time. William Shomali, auxiliary bishop of the Latin Patriarchate, told Vatican Radio that Pizzaballa has been received positively and knows the area well.
