sentences:  On 26 February 1961 he was elected titular Archbishop of Hierapolis/Gerapoli for the Melkite Church.Coussa was consecrated bishop 16 April 1961 in the Sistine chapel, by Pope John XXIII, assisted by Giovanni Mele, bishop of Lungro, for the Italo-Albanians of Continental Italy, by Giuseppe Perniciaro, titular bishop of Arbano, auxiliary and vicar general of the apostolic administrator of Piana degli Albanesi, by Archmandrite Théodore Minisci, higoumène of the Italo-Greek monastery of Grottaferrata, and by Archmandrite Ambroise Kassis, superior general of the Basilian Order of Aleppo.He was then named Pro-Secretary of the Congregation for the Eastern Churches on 4 August 1961.