Giacomo Giuseppe Beltritti

Beltritti was born in Peveragno[1] and came to the Holy Land in 1926, when he began studying for the priesthood at a seminary in Beit Jala in the West Bank.

[2] On September 21, 1965, Beltritti was appointed Coadjutor Patriarch of Jerusalem and Titular Bishop of Cana by Pope Paul VI.

He received his episcopal consecration on the following October 10 from Patriarch Alberto Gori, O.F.M., with Archbishop Mikhayl Assaf and Bishop Hanna Kaldany serving as co-consecrators.

He served as head of the Catholic Church in Israel, the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip, Jordan, and Cyprus for 17 years and, during that time, became known for his work in drawing young Palestinians into the priesthood and enlarging the Catholic school system.

[2] Beltritti retired as Patriarch on December 11, 1987,[1] and then taught catechism at the parochial school in Deir Rafat, where he resided at the local monastery.