Pope appoints new Occupied Jerusalem Latin Patriarch

Vatican City: Pope Benedict on Saturday appointed Archbishop Fouad Twal as Latin Patriarch of Occupied Jerusalem.

The appointment makes 67-year-old Twal the Roman Catholic church's top Latin rite cleric for Palestinian territories and Israel.

Twal replaces 75-year-old Archbishop Michel Sabbah, who resigned after holding the post since 1987.

The Jordanian-born Twal served as deputy parish priest in Ramallah in the 1960s before landing a diplomatic career for the Vatican.