Patriarch sfeir biography examples pdf

Nasrallah Sfeir was born in Rayfoun , Lebanon , on 15 May 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 graduated in philosophy and theology in at Saint Joseph's University in Beirut.

He was ordained to the priesthood in the same year on 7 May. From to he served as priest to the parish of Rayfoun. On 23 June Sfeir was appointed Titular bishop and Patriarchal vicar. Consequently, Sfeir served as patriarchal vicar. Sfeir was keen on accelerating liturgical reforms.

Pope John Paul II created Patriarch Sfeir as a cardinal on 26 November Patriarch Sfeir initiated a liturgical reform in the.

This work bore fruit in 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. 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 to He often spoke out against social and political injustices, and for the poor and disenfranchised. His writings and sermons set out his vision of how Lebanon could 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 President , but by he had become embroiled in national politics.

Cardinal Sfeir submitted his resignation to the Congregation for the Oriental Churches in Rome in late , but his resignation was not initially accepted because six Maronite bishops had submitted their resignations after reaching the retirement age of 75 in June [ 3 ] His resignation was finally accepted by Pope Benedict XVI on 26 February