The laureate of this year’s St. John Paul II Award – Premio San Giovanni Paolo II, granted by our Foundation, has arrived in Rome. During tomorrow’s ceremony at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican, Archbishop Jacques Mourad will receive the award from Cardinal Kurt Koch, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity and Chairman of the Award Committee.
This morning, a press conference with Archbishop Mourad was held at the Roman headquarters of the Syriac Catholic Church, located at the Church of Santa Maria in Campo Marzio. In addition to the laureate, the following individuals were present:
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Archbishop Flaviano Rami Al-Kabalan, Apostolic Visitor for Syriac Catholics in Western Europe and Procurator of the Patriarchate of Antioch to the Holy See,
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Mons. Paweł Ptasznik, Chairman of the John Paul II Vatican Foundation, which presents the award on behalf of the Holy See.
Biography of the Laureate
Archbishop Jacques Mourad was born in Aleppo in 1968. He completed his seminary formation in Lebanon, earning academic degrees in philosophy, theology, and liturgy. In 1993, he was ordained a priest of the Syriac Catholic Church. As a young man, he joined the monastic community of Deir Mar Musa, founded by Fr. Paolo Dall’Oglio SJ, renowned for its commitment to Christian–Muslim dialogue. In the years that followed, he served in Syria, Iraq, and Italy, providing pastoral care and working for reconciliation and interreligious cooperation.
In 2015, he was kidnapped by jihadists of the so-called Islamic State and held for several months under inhumane conditions. Tortured and pressured to renounce his faith, he even endured a mock execution. He was eventually freed thanks to the courage of local Muslims who, at the risk of their lives, helped him escape. After his release, he resumed his pastoral mission among Christians in war-torn regions. In 2023, Pope Francis appointed him Syriac Catholic Archbishop of Homs, Hama, and Nabk, entrusting him with the task of accompanying Christian communities in the Middle East and building paths of dialogue, peace, and reconciliation.
According to the Award Committee, the Premio San Giovanni Paolo II 2025 is being presented to Archbishop Mourad for “his witness of faith, courage, and hope, forged in the fire of suffering and at the same time filled with love for God and for humanity.”
Participants in Tomorrow’s Ceremony
Among those expected to attend the award ceremony at the Apostolic Palace are:
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Mons. Paweł Ptasznik, Chairman of the John Paul II Vatican Foundation
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Cardinal Kurt Koch, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity and Chairman of the Award Committee
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Cardinal James Michael Harvey, Archpriest of the Papal Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls
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Prof. Andrea Riccardi, founder
