“We are Churches built on the witness of martyrs,” Bishop Mykola Cardinal Bychok
On April 21, 2026, in Sydney, at the Cathedral of St Thomas the Apostle of the Chaldean Catholic Church, a solemn ceremony was held to welcome the new Head of the Chaldean Catholic Church—His Beatitude Mar Paul III Nona. The event was attended by representatives of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches of Australia, including Bishop Mykola Cardinal Bychok.
His Beatitude Mar Paul III Nona was recently elected Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church, which is one of the Eastern Catholic Churches in communion with the Roman Apostolic See. His election was a significant event for this Church, which has deep historical roots in the Middle East and today also has a presence in the diaspora, particularly in Australia.
Welcoming His Beatitude Mar Paul III Nona and those present, Bishop Mykola noted, “Today is a day of profound joy for the Catholic Church in Australia and for all our Eastern Catholic communities. We gather to welcome with love, respect, and fraternal gratitude His Beatitude Mar Paul III Nona, newly elected Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church. Your Beatitude, it is a blessing to stand with you, to pray with you, and to honour the new mission the Lord has entrusted to you.
For me, this moment is also deeply personal. Over the years, the Lord has allowed us to form a close and sincere friendship—one rooted in our shared pastoral concerns, our shared love for our people, and our shared experience as shepherds of Churches that have suffered greatly. The Ukrainian Catholic Church and the Chaldean Catholic Church are, in many ways, sisters in sorrow and sisters in hope. We are Churches built on the witness of martyrs, on the endurance of the faithful, and on the unshakeable conviction that Christ is our life and our victory.
I will never forget that on the very day the full‑scale invasion of Ukraine began, I was with you, Your Beatitude. In that moment of shock and uncertainty, your presence, your words, and your prayerful support were a great consolation to me and to our Ukrainian community. You stood with us not only as a friend, but as a brother in Christ whose own people have known the wounds of war, displacement, and persecution. For this, I remain deeply grateful.
Today, as we welcome your service as Patriarch, know that you do not walk alone. You are accompanied by the prayers of the faithful in Australia and throughout the world. We pray that the Holy Spirit will strengthen you with wisdom, courage, and pastoral tenderness as you guide your beloved Chaldean Church in these challenging times.
Your Beatitude, I look forward with joy to our future encounters, our continued collaboration, and our shared witness as Eastern Catholic shepherds serving the one Body of Christ. May our friendship and our cooperation be a sign of unity, hope, and fraternity for all our people.
May the Lord bless your ministry abundantly, and may the Mother of God, the Queen of the East, intercede for you always.”
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