Latin Patriarchal Vicariate of Jordan

Chaldean Patriarch Paulos III Nona Visits the American University of Madaba

Chaldean Patriarch Paulos III Nona visits the American University of Madaba
Chaldean Patriarch Paulos III Nona visits the American University of Madaba
Chaldean Patriarch Paulos III Nona visits the American University of Madaba
Chaldean Patriarch Paulos III Nona visits the American University of Madaba
Chaldean Patriarch Paulos III Nona visits the American University of Madaba
Chaldean Patriarch Paulos III Nona visits the American University of Madaba
Chaldean Patriarch Paulos III Nona visits the American University of Madaba
Chaldean Patriarch Paulos III Nona visits the American University of Madaba
Chaldean Patriarch Paulos III Nona visits the American University of Madaba
Chaldean Patriarch Paulos III Nona visits the American University of Madaba
Chaldean Patriarch Paulos III Nona visits the American University of Madaba
Chaldean Patriarch Paulos III Nona visits the American University of Madaba
Chaldean Patriarch Paulos III Nona visits the American University of Madaba
Chaldean Patriarch Paulos III Nona visits the American University of Madaba
Chaldean Patriarch Paulos III Nona visits the American University of Madaba
Chaldean Patriarch Paulos III Nona visits the American University of Madaba

On Monday, 9 November 2026, His Beatitude Mar Paulos III Nona, Patriarch of the Chaldean Church, visited the American University of Madaba. He met academic officials and students from Iraq and the Gaza Strip, during a visit focused on the role of education in promoting dialogue and building bridges between communities.

With the Patriarch were:

  • H.E. Bishop Iyad Twal, Patriarchal Vicar for the Latins in Jordan
  • H.E. Bishop Azad Shaba, Bishop of Duhok
  • Chorbishop Zaid Habbaba, Chaldean Patriarchal Vicar in Jordan
  • Fr. Karam Shamasha and Fr. David Stephen
  • Dr. Khairuddin Al-Amin, the Iraqi Cultural Attaché

The delegation was welcomed by Eng. Azzam Shweihat, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, and Prof. Odai Areidah, President of the University. A meeting was then held in the university theater with academic and administrative staff and many students.

In his welcome address, the University President said the visit reflects the shared mission of the Church and educational institutions in serving the human person. He stressed that Catholic education goes beyond knowledge and skills: it seeks to form the whole person intellectually, morally and spiritually. The university, he said, prepares generations who unite knowledge and wisdom and use what they learn to serve society. They also learn to uphold human dignity, love and dialogue. He recalled that Pope Benedict XVI described the university as “a place of understanding and dialogue” when he blessed its cornerstone on 9 May 2009.

Students from Iraq and Gaza shared their academic and personal experiences. They spoke about the learning environment and the support the university offers students from different circumstances and backgrounds.

Bishop Iyad Twal stressed the importance of education in forming the person and in promoting love, solidarity and peace, especially in light of the challenges Jordan has recently faced. He said educational institutions play an essential role in raising awareness and strengthening unity within society. Eng. Azzam Shweihat welcomed Patriarch Nona and affirmed the role of universities in spreading knowledge and fostering dialogue and understanding.

At the end of the meeting, the university presented Patriarch Nona with a shield of honor in appreciation of his visit and his service to the Church. The Patriarch and the delegation then toured the university’s laboratories and academic facilities.

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