Grégoire Haddad
Grégoire Haddad in Arabic (25 September 1924 – 23 December 2015) was Archeparch of the Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Beirut and Byblos from 1968 to 1975. He was known as the "Red Bishop of Beirut" promoting a secular "social movement" and a platform of rapprochement between Muslims and Christians with the onslaught of the Lebanese Civil War. He reinforced his controversial viewpoints through further secular movements and through Afaq magazine, which he founded. In 1975 under pressure from the Holy See, he resigned from active religious duty. Since his resignation, he became an emeritus archbishop without holding an actual diocese in Lebanon.
Early life and education
Grégoire Haddad (in
Career
He then worked as a secretary in the Archbishop's Ordinariate in Beirut and devoted himself to several social projects, and founded the Lebanese social movement. On 30 July 1965, with an appointment would come Bishop in Beirut and Byblos and titular bishop of Palmyra of Greek Melkites. On 5 September 1965 he was ordained to the episcopate by Maximos IV Sayegh, SMSP (Archbishop of Beirut and Byblos from 1933 to 1947) and his co-consecrators were Archbishop Philippe Nabaa (Archbishop of Beirut and Byblos 1948-1967) and Archbishop Joseph Tawil (Archbishop of the Eparchy of Newton). In this role, Haddad also participated in the fourth session of the Second Vatican Council in part. After the death of the archbishop, he led the Diocese of Beirut and was appointed on 9 September 1968 to the Melkite Archbishopric of Beirut and Byblos. He was a consecrator of the Archbishops Elias Nijmé, BA (Archbishop of the Archeparchy of Tripoli) and Jean Assaad Haddad (Archbishop of Tyre).
In the first years of his term, the new archbishop had many decisions of the
Haddad also founded in the 1960s a number of other auxiliary movements to his Social Movement including Self Education (التثقيف الذاتي), the Ecumenical Movement for Youth (الحركة المسكونية للشبيبة), the inter-scholar United Club (النادي الموحّد), Oasis of Hope (واحة الرجاء) to work with the grassroots Social Movement.
In addition, Grégoire Haddad was active in publishing articles and giving media interviews about his theory about a rapprochement between socialism and the Church saying he represented increasing public opinion on more secularization. In 1974-1975, he founded the periodical Afaq (in
As political pressure mounted on him, followed by threat of sanctions within the Greek Catholic Church eventually leading Grégoire Haddad to resign from his post as Archbishop of Beirut and Byblos on 19 September 1975. Pope Paul VI in a concurrent appointment gave him the Titular title as Archbishop of Adana of Greek Catholic Melkites (Turkey) with no actual congregation to tend to. After his resignation he retired to a monastery, and refused any further bishop offices offered to him within the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, except for a brief period as temporary replacement to the deceased Greek Catholic Bishop of Tyre in 1986-1987.
Grégoire Haddad spent most of his remaining time in seclusion Faraya, Laqlouq, Akoura (1992-1997) and in the Patriarchate in
See also
References
- ^ Religioscope - JFM Recherches et Analyses. "Religioscope: Lebanon: Hizbullah, a progressive Islamic party? - Interview with Joseph Alagha". Religion.info. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
- ^ "H-Net Reviews". H-net.org. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
- ISBN 978-3-531-15724-5]