Jallouf Hanna

Hanna Jallouf, born on July 16, 1952, in Knayeh, in the northwest of Syria, is a Franciscan friar and Catholic bishop, currently serving as the Apostolic Vicar of Aleppo for the Latin Rite faithful. A member of the Custody of the Holy Land, he has dedicated his life to pastoral service in Syria, particularly in the regions most affected by the civil war.

He entered the Order of Friars Minor in 1974 and made his solemn profession in 1979, the same year he was ordained a priest. He studied philosophy and theology in Assisi, later obtaining a licentiate in History in Beirut and in Youth Pastoral Care and Catechetics at the Pontifical Salesian University in Rome.

Throughout his mission, he held numerous positions: vice-rector of the Terra Sancta College in Amman (1979-1982), rector of the minor seminary in Aleppo (1982-1987), director of the Terra Sancta College in Amman (1992-2001), and pastor in Knayeh and Jisser El Chougur (from 2001 onwards).

During the Syrian civil war, he continued to serve the Christian communities in the Idlib province, an area controlled by rebel groups. In 2014, he was kidnapped by militants affiliated with al-Nusra along with about twenty parishioners and was released after five days.

On July 1, 2023, Pope Francis appointed him as the Apostolic Vicar of Aleppo. His episcopal ordination took place on September 17, 2023, at the Church of St. Francis in Aleppo, presided over by Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, with the participation of Cardinal Mario Zenari and Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa.