The Lebanese Maronite priest Father Michel Jalakh, O.A.M., who was until now the rector of Antonine University in Baabda, Lebanon, has been appointed by Pope Francis as the new secretary of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches.

Father Jalakh was born on August 27, 1966, in Baouchrieh, Lebanon. He made his first religious profession in the Antonian Maronite Order on August 15, 1983, and was ordained a priest on April 21, 1991. He served as a Secretariat attaché at the former Congregation for the Eastern Churches from December 2000 to July 2008. He received his Doctorate in Ecclesiology from the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome, Italy, in 2008.

From 2013 to 2018, he was the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches and a member of the Commission for Ecumenical Relations of the Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops Assembly in Lebanon. He became the rector of Antonine University in Baabda in 2017, where he also lectures.

Pope Francis appointed the new prefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches, Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti, on November 21, 2022. The 67-year-old prelate had previously served as the apostolic nuncio to Britain. He began his service on January 16, 2023.

Father Jalakh is a well-known figure in the religious community, and his appointment as the new secretary of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches has been welcomed by many. Pope Paul VI established this Dicastery in 1917, which is responsible for promoting and coordinating the activities of the Catholic Church in the Eastern Catholic Churches and the other non-Catholic Churches in the East.

Father Jalakh’s appointment is a significant development, as he brings a wealth of experience and expertise. He is expected to play a crucial role in promoting and coordinating the Church’s activities in the Eastern Churches, which include the Maronite, Coptic, Syriac, and Armenian Catholic Churches, among others.

The Catholic Church has a long and rich history in the East, and it is hoped that Father Jalakh’s appointment will help strengthen the Church’s presence in the region. His appointment also reflects Pope Francis’s importance on the Eastern Catholic Churches and the need to promote greater unity and understanding between them and the Western Catholic Church.

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News.