Dictionary of Meaning
<<Back
Please select a letter:
A |
B |
C |
D |
E |
F |
G |
H |
I |
J |
K |
L |
M |
N |
O |
P |
Q |
R |
S |
T |
U |
V |
W |
X |
Y |
Z |
0-9
Click here for Shopping
Nasrallah Cardinal Sfeir
*** Shopping-Tip: Nasrallah Cardinal Sfeir
Image:Nasrallah Sfeir.jpg thumb|right|Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Cardinal Sfeir
'''Nasrallah Boutros Cardinal Sfeir''' (
Arabic language Arabic: الكاردينال مار نصر الله بطرس صÙ?ير) (born
May 15,
1920 in
Rayfoun,
Lebanon) is the patriarch of Lebanon's largest Christian sect, the
Maronite Maronites. He was elected
List of Maronite Patriarchs Patriarch of Antioch for the Maronites on
April 27 1986, after the resignation of Patriarch
Anthony Khoraiche. His official title is ''His Holiness the seventy-sixth
Patriarch of Antioch and the Whole East.
Background
{{Politics of Lebanon}}
He was educated in
Beirut, and at
Mar Abda School in
Harharaya where he completed his primary and complementary studies, and Ghazir where he completed his secondary studies at
St. Maron seminary. He trained in philosophy and theology in
1950 at
Université de Saint-Joseph Saint Joseph's University in Beirut. He was ordained to the priesthood in the same year on
May 7. From
1951 to
1955 he served as priest to the parish of Rayfoun. In
1956 he was appointed the secretary of the Maronite Patriarchate, based in
Bkerké. In the same year he became the professor of translation in literature and philosophy at the Frères Maronite School in
Jounieh. In June of
1961 he was appointed the titular bishop of
Tarsus and Patriarchal vicar. In July of
1961 he was elected a Bishop. He was elected to the primacy of the
Maronite Maronite Church by the
Council of Maronite Bishops, on
April 27,
1986. Sfeir was made a
cardinal (Catholicism) cardinal by
Pope John Paul II in the
consistory of
November 26,
1994; as the
Patriarch of a ''
sui juris''
particular Church who has been made a cardinal, Sfeir is a
Cardinal Bishop. Sfeir is fluent in many languages:
Syriac language Syriac,
Aramaic language Aramaic,
French language French,
Italian language Italian,
Latin, and
English language English, as well as his native
Arabic language Arabic, of which he knows both the
Classical Arabic classical and
Lebanese Arabic Lebanese dialect forms.
Serving as the Vicar for two previous patriarchs prepared Sfeir for the role in both the ecclesiastical and civil spheres. He became a strong voice for reason and sanity in the latter years of the
Lebanese Civil War, which raged from
1975 to
1990. He has often spoken out against social and political injustices, and for the poor and disenfranchised. His writings and sermons set out his vision of how Lebanon can achieve a free and prosperous future. Like his predecessor, Sfeir largely stayed out of politics during the first few years of his tenure as patriarch, generally deferring to the stance of the Lebanese
List of Presidents of Lebanon President, but by
1989, he had become embroiled in national politics.
Involvement in politics
The cardinal has found himself both within the Syrian camp and outside it [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4348129.stm]. At the beginning of the
1990s he never supported Syria's role against the General
Michel Aoun. In the spring of 1989, when Aoun launched a campaign to achieve control of militia-dominated areas, 23 Christian deputies of parliament met at the seat of the Maronite Church in
Bkerké, under the auspices of Sfeir, and called for a cease-fire. This resulted in thousands of Christians demonstrating against Aoun. Under what some say was pressure from the
Holy See Vatican, he backed the
Taif Agreement to end the civil war, saying that it was "a fatal error to believe that we can live alone on an island in which we run our affairs as we like." A few days later, he declared that Aoun's nonacceptance of the Taif Agreement was illegal and unconstitutional. On
November 5, as parliamentary deputies met at an abandoned air base in Syrian-controlled north Lebanon to elect a new president, Sfeir warned in a sermon that Aoun's stand "would lead to partitioning of the country."
Not all Christian Lebanese shared Sfeir's outlook, and several strikes and demonstrations in support of Aoun or against Syria broke out intermittently. At one point, a large number of angry christians stormed Sfeir's residence in Bkerké and physically assaulted the patriarch, forcing him to replace a portrait of
Pope Pope John Paul II John Paul II with one of Aoun, and to kiss Aoun's portrait, while rioters burned tires outside of six other churches. Although Aoun quickly condemned the rioters, Sfeir complained bitterly that Lebanese soldiers stationed outside the patriarchate had not protected him. The patriarch reluctantly moved from the Christian enclave to Syrian-controlled north Lebanon.
Opposition within the church
The patriarch's authority was challenged even within the Church itself, as several monastic orders issued proclamations supporting Aoun and denouncing the
Taif Accord. In order to bolster the patriarch's authority, the
Holy See Vatican became directly involved in reorganizing the Maronite Church. Speaking before a gathering of Lebanese bishops in November 1989, the
Nuncio papal nuncio in Lebanon,
Pablo Puente, condemned "the interference of clerical persons and institutions in politics without being officially mandated to by the church hierarchy... an end must be put to political visits and declarations that have no clear Church mandate." The Vatican later sought to temper nationalist views in the clergy by appointing "visiting bishops" to supervise three especially militant monastic orders. In
1990 Sfeir called for the rival government in West Beirut to take over Aoun's "Christian enclave" in the east. "The legitimate government should spread its authority over the whole nation," he said in one interview. "It should not wait for an invitation from anyone to do so." Finally in October of
1990, Syrian-led Lebanese forces crushed Aoun's insurgency and the long civil war finally came to an end.
Under the Taif Accord, Damascus undertook to eventually withdraw its forces, which up until March of
2005 have not completely left. Sfeir was at times a vocal critic of Syrian prevarication against its implementation, up until around
2003, falling silent again just as anti-Syrian views were becoming more widespread. Being have lost suppport from the majority of the Christians who had fled the country. The Cardinal has also urged restraint in anti-Syrian rhetoric, and for Lebanon to focus on its economic development rather than political rifts. These political change has put him back to be the spoken person in the name of the Christians.
The Maronite Church is an Eastern Rite Catholic Church in communion with the Patriarch of Rome, the Pope.
Sfeir has written several books, including ''"The sources of the Gospel-Bkerké"'', (
1975); ''"Personalities that disappeared 1961-1974"'' - (two volumes); and ''"Sunday sermons: spiritual reflections and stand of national positions"'', (several volumes,
1988).
Sfeir is keen on accelerating liturgical reforms. This work bore fruit in
1992 with the publication of a new Maronite
Missal, which represents an attempt to return to the original form of the
Antiochene Liturgy. Its Service of the Word has been described as far more enriched than previous Missals, and it features six Anaphoras [Eucharistic Prayers].
External links
-
Official website
-
His Holiness Patriarch Sfeir
-
Dossier: Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir
{{start box}}
{{succession box|
before=
Anthony Khoraiche|
title=
List of Maronite Patriarchs Maronite Patriarchs of Antioch|
after=''incumbent''|
years=
}}
{{end box}}
{{Eastern Christianity}}
Category:Patriarchs of Antioch Sfeir, Nasrallah
Category:1920 births Sfeir, Nasrallah Cardinal
Category:Christian writers Sfeir, Nasrallah Cardinal
Category:Cardinals Sfeir, Nasrallah
Category:Eastern Rite Catholics Sfeir, Nasrallah
Category:Lebanese people Sfeir, Nasrallah Cardinal
Category:Living people Sfeir, Nasrallah
de:Nasrallah Pierre Sfeir
fr:Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir
no:Nasrallah Pierre Sfeir
pl:Nasrallah Piotr Sfeir
sv:Nasrallah Sfeir
*** Shopping-Tip: Nasrallah Cardinal Sfeir
