Patriarch Ignatius Youssef III Younan has accused Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Eastern Churches, of helping orchestrate efforts to remove him from office. The patriarch says he still has strong support among Syriac Catholics and denies claims that his leadership caused a breakdown in unity among the bishops.
At the center of the conflict is Bishop Flaviano Rami Al-Kabalan, who Patriarch Youssef asked to return from Rome to Lebanon years ago, a request the bishop did not follow. The patriarch alleges the bishop then built influence within the Roman Curia and helped turn other bishops against him.
This comes after Pope Leo XIV’s new legislation, Mutua concordia, which for the first time allows an Eastern Catholic patriarch to be removed by his own synod, pending papal confirmation. Patriarch Youssef argues this process doesn’t reflect the traditional role of a patriarch as both father and head of his Church, and says the July 2025 synod meeting was more like a “tribunal” than a fair hearing.
What do you think about this unfolding story? Share your thoughts below 👇
#SyriacCatholicChurch #easterncatholic #VaticanNews #PopeLeoXIV #catholic #catholicchurch
You can help us share the Catholic faith with thousands of hearts. May God bless your generosity and this mission we share together:
It would be wise to invite Bishop Flaviano Rami Al-Kabalan to tell his side of the story and how he justifies his disobedience to the Patriarch’s instructions.
Has any one named the bishops who are allegedly trying to remove the Patriarch?