Catholic Bishops of Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA) have elected Most Rev Berhaneyesus D. Souraphiel, Archbishop of Addis Ababa as new Chairman.
He has replaces Rev. Tarcisio G. Ziyaye of Lilongwe whose rain of office as Chairman of AMECEA has just expired.
The election was held on Thursday at Bingu International Conference Centre (BICC) during the ongoing AMECEA Plenary.
Most Rev Berhaneyesus is the 10th Chairman of AMECEA and the first Bishop from Ethiopia to hold that position. Other countries which held that position in the history of AMECEA are Zambia and Uganda (three times each) while Tanzania, Kenya and Malawi have held it once.
Archbishop Berhaneyesus was ordained as a Vincentian priest on July 4, 1976. He was consecrated as a Bishop in 1998 by Cardinal Paulos Tzadua. On 7 July 1999 he succeeded His Eminence Paulos Cardinal Tzadua as Catholic Archbishop of Addis Ababa.
The Chairman of AMECEA is elected every three years during the business session of the Plenary meeting. The position is held for a maximum of two terms.
