Rabweh 2 May 2013
Press release from the Melkite Greek Catholic Chancellery:
Pope Francis has today ratified the episcopal election by the Holy Synod of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, on 22 June 2012, of Archimandrite Nicolas Antiba as Metropolitan of Bosra, Hauran and Jabal al-Arab. The Very Reverend Nicolas Antiba succeeds His Grace Mgr Boulos Borkhosh, who has offered his resignation upon reaching the canonical age. Mgr Borkhosh had been elected bishop in 1983.
There follows a brief biographical notice about His Grace Mgr Nicolas Antiba:
Nicolas Antiba was born in Aleppo, Syria, on 25 December 1945. On 23 June 1964 he took his first religious vows in the Aleppine Basilian Order. In 1967 his Order sent him to Rome to pursue his philosophical and theological studies at the Gregorian University where he gained a licentiate. He was ordained priest in 1971.
From 1971 to 1978 he continued his studies in Semitic Languages and Holy Scripture at the Pontifical Biblical Institute where he obtained a licentiate and completed the year preparatory to the Doctorate in order to obtain a master’s degree in Holy Scripture.
In 1978, his Order sent him to the United States as priest to the Parish of Saint Ann in West Paterson, New Jersey.
In 1989, he was elected Superior General of the Aleppine Basilian Order and elevated to Archimandrite.
In 1995 the Congregation of Oriental Churches appointed him Apostolic Visitor to the Congregation of Aleppine Basilian Sisters.
In 1996 His Beatitude Maximos V called him to the Patriarchal Major Seminary of Saint Anna to provide spiritual leadership and be in charge of the pastoral year.
In 2000 His Beatitude Gregorios III appointed him Chancellor of the Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchate in Rabweh, Lebanon.
In 2002 His Beatitude Gregorios III appointed him Parish Priest of Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre in Paris, raising him to the rank of Exarch.
Archimandrite Nicolas served on several committees of the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Catholic Churches and his own Melkite Greek Catholic Church.
He taught Holy Scripture at Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, the Antonine University and the St. Paul Institute of Philosophy and Theology, Lebanon.
He is the author of several studies and articles on topics in theology, Holy Scripture, liturgy and spirituality.
He is fluent in Arabic, French, English and Italian and has a working knowledge of German, Spanish, Latin, Greek, Hebrew and Armenian.
The date of his episcopal ordination will be confirmed later.
Father Antony Dib
Chancellor