Archimandrite Nin Appointed Apostolic Exarch in Greece

The Holy Father has accepted the resignation from the pastoral governance of the Apostolic Exarchate for the Byzantine Rite Catholics in Greece submitted by His Excellency Kyr Dimitrios Salachas, in conformity with canon 210 § 1 of the Code of Canons for the Eastern Catholic Churches.

The Pope has names as Apostolic Exarch for the Byzantine Rite Catholics in Greece, Very Reverend Archimandrite Manuel Nin, OSB, hitherto Rector of the Pontifical Greek College in Rome, at the same time elevating him to the titular episcopal See of Carcabia.

Archimandrite Manuel Nin, OSB

Archimandrite Manuel Nin, OSB, was born onil 20 August 1956 at El Vendrell, in the Archdiocese of Tarragona (Spain). After completing primary and secondary school, he entered the noviciate of the Benedictine Monastery of Monserrat in 1975, professing his First Vows on 26 April 1977 and making his Solemn Monastic Profession on 18 October 1980. He was ordained a deacon on 22 November 1997 and a priest on 18 April 1998.

He studied philosophy (1977-1979) and theology (1979-1984) at the Monserrat Monastery. He was transferred to Rome, in 1984, where he lived at the Benedictine Abbey of Sant'Anselmo. In Rome he enrolled in the licentiate program in Patristics at the Pontifical Augustinianum Institute. and also took courses at Sant'Anselmo's Pontifical Liturgical Institute, the Monastic Institute, and the Pontifical Oriental Institute. On 9 June 1987 he received  a Licentiate in Patristic Theology from the Augustinianum. His thesis, entitled: "Four Syriac letters attributed to John the Solitary,"  was prepared under the direction of Msgr. Joseph-M. Sauget and Rev. José M. Guirau, OSA. Returning to Monserrat in 1987, he taught theology, patristics, introduction to Eastern liturgies, and Greek at the monastery. During this period he also began research for his doctoral thesis.

Returning to Rome from 1989–1992, he attended doctoral courses in Patristic Theology at the Augustinianum and prepared his doctoral dissertation. On 20 January 1992 he defended his dissertation entitled: "Juan el Solitario. Los cinco Discursos sobre las Bienaventuranzas," directed by Professors Alberto Camplani, Paul Bettiolo, and Sever Voicu. A translation of the dissertation is currently being prepared for publication by Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium, scriptores syri of Leuven. 

During his years of research he participated at Patristic conferences in Oxford and the "Symposium Syriacum". He also collaborated with journals published by Montserrat Monastery.

Since the academic year 1992-1993 has has been teaching at at Sant'Anselmo. From the 1995–1996 academic year he has also been teaching at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross and the Pontifical Oriental Institute. He been a guest professor at the Pontifical Oriental Institute since 1998. and has taught a course on Eastern Christian Sacraments at the Pontifical Gregorian University since 2000. He is also a member of the Editorial Board of the magazine Ephrem's Theological Journal since 1997.

Since January 1996 he has been living at the Pontifical Greek College in Rome, at which he served as Spiritual Director from 1996 to 1999, and Rector since 29 June 1999. His term as Rector of the Greek College was renewed for five year terms in 2002 and 2007.

On 14 November 1999 received the Archimandrial blessing from of the Melkite Eparch of Akko, Haifa, Nazareth, and all Galilee, Archbishop Boutros Mouallem.

In March 1994 he was named a Consulter to the Congregation for the Eastern Churches. In 1998 he was elected first consulter to the Abbot-president of the Subiaco-Casino Congregation, to which his monastery belongs. Recently he was named Consulter of the Office for Papal Liturgical Celebrations and Member of the Liturgical Commission of the Congregation for the Eastern Churches.

He is a founding member of the group Syriaca, for research in Italy on the Churches and Syriac literature. Since 2007 he participated in meetings of formation for bishops of Eastern Europe. 

Besides Catalan and Spanish, he knows Greek, Latin, Syriac, Italian, French, and English. The bishop-elect is a Greek citizen.

Translated and adapted by Rev. Dr, Athanasius McVay from the following sources: Vatican Information Service, and Pontifical Greek College blog. 

Watch this April 2012 clip on Archimandrite Nin (requires Silverlight)