Bishop of El Obeid Diocese in Sudan, Bishop Macram Max Gassis, a former Nobel Peace Prize nominee, was an advocate for human rights

The first Catholic Bishop of El Obeid Diocese in Sudan, Bishop Macram Max Gassis, passed away at the age of 85 in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, USA.

According to statements, Bishop Gassis had been suffering from poor health for many months before his passing.

He was a member of the Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus and was remembered by his loved ones as a fighter for justice, peace, and human rights.

Born in Khartoum, Sudan in 1938, Bishop Makram received his early education from the Comboni Missionaries before attending seminary in Italy.

He was ordained a priest on June 28, 1964, in Verona, Italy.

Bishop Macram returned to his home diocese of El Obeid in 1965, and served as assistant parish priest in Wad Medani, expanding the work of the church and establishing new parishes throughout the region.

He served as a chaplain at the University of Khartoum and also earned a degree in canon law from the Catholic University of America.

In 1983, he had been appointed Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of El Obeid and was ultimately appointed Bishop of El Obeid on March 12, 1988.

The late bishop Makram, Co-Founder and Former Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Catholic Radio Network.

The late bishop holds a degree in Canon Law from the Catholic University of America.

Bishop Makram Max, a former Nobel Peace Prize nominee, 1988 testified before the US Congress regarding human rights abuses committed by the Sudanese government against innocent people in his country.

After this testimony, the Sudanese government brought criminal charges against him, and for years he was forced to sneak into and out of his country for security reasons.