Chaldean Patriarch of Babylon. Born in Mosul to a family of Assyrian origins, Raphael Bidawid entered the local seminary at the early age of eleven, being later sent to Rome in order to pursue his studies, where he was ordained priest in October 1944. Lecturing philosophy and theology upon his return in Mosul, in which subjects he had successfully earned academic degrees, at the young age of thirty five he was appointed bishop of the Chaldean see of Amadiyah, receiving his episcopal consecration on October 6, 1957. Appointed bishop of the Chaldean eparchy of Beirut in 1966, Bidawid rose to become one of the most prominent figures in the history of the Chaldean Church of the late twentieth century: not only was he a scholar and a polyglot who spoke thirteen languages, but also a champion of the unification of the Assyrian Church of the East and the Chaldean Catholic Church and a staunch defender of theirs in Iraq. Elected Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans on March 21, 1989, Pope John Paul II confirmed his appointment the following June. Founding the 'Confrère de la Charité' in order to provide medicines, food and shelter to those affected by UN sanctions against Iraq, Bidawid spent his last nine months in hospital. Diabetic complications led to kidney failure and ultimately his death. To this day he remains a highly popular figure especially among the Assyrians being particularly proud of his heritage, which led to become an authority of Syriac culture, language and faith.
Chaldean Patriarch of Babylon. Born in Mosul to a family of Assyrian origins, Raphael Bidawid entered the local seminary at the early age of eleven, being later sent to Rome in order to pursue his studies, where he was ordained priest in October 1944. Lecturing philosophy and theology upon his return in Mosul, in which subjects he had successfully earned academic degrees, at the young age of thirty five he was appointed bishop of the Chaldean see of Amadiyah, receiving his episcopal consecration on October 6, 1957. Appointed bishop of the Chaldean eparchy of Beirut in 1966, Bidawid rose to become one of the most prominent figures in the history of the Chaldean Church of the late twentieth century: not only was he a scholar and a polyglot who spoke thirteen languages, but also a champion of the unification of the Assyrian Church of the East and the Chaldean Catholic Church and a staunch defender of theirs in Iraq. Elected Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans on March 21, 1989, Pope John Paul II confirmed his appointment the following June. Founding the 'Confrère de la Charité' in order to provide medicines, food and shelter to those affected by UN sanctions against Iraq, Bidawid spent his last nine months in hospital. Diabetic complications led to kidney failure and ultimately his death. To this day he remains a highly popular figure especially among the Assyrians being particularly proud of his heritage, which led to become an authority of Syriac culture, language and faith.
Bio by: Eman Bonnici
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See more Bidawid memorials in:
Records on Ancestry
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