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| Bechara Boutros al-Rahi | |
|---|---|
| Name | Bechara Boutros al-Rahi |
| Native name | بشارة بطرس الراعي |
| Birth date | 25 February 1940 |
| Birth place | Himlaya, Bsharri, Lebanon |
| Ordination | 23 March 1968 |
| Consecration | 25 June 1986 |
| Title | 76th Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and All the East |
| Predecessor | Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir |
| Church | Maronite Church |
Bechara Boutros al-Rahi is the 76th Patriarch of the Maronite Church and a cardinal of the Catholic Church. Born in Bsharri, Lebanon, he has served as a prominent religious leader, engaging in ecclesial governance, ecumenism, and Lebanese national affairs. His patriarchate since 2011 has intersected with regional politics, interreligious dialogue, and relations with the Holy See.
Al-Rahi was born in a village in Bsharri, Zgharta-adjacent terrain near Mount Lebanon, into a family from the Maronite Church milieu; his upbringing connected him to the cultural milieu of Lebanese Maronites, Phoenicia, and the Cedar of Lebanon heritage. He attended local seminaries before entering the Pontifical Oriental Institute and the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, where he studied canon law and theology alongside contemporaries linked to Vatican II, Pope Paul VI, and later figures such as Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, and Pope Francis. His formation included exposure to institutions like the Congregation for the Oriental Churches and to theological currents present at the Second Vatican Council.
Ordained a priest on 23 March 1968, he served in pastoral and academic posts within Lebanon and in missions connected to Saint Maron traditions, interacting with bishops from Antioch and patriarchs such as Cardinal Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir. Consecrated bishop on 25 June 1986, he held the archepiscopal see of Antelias and participated in episcopal conferences including the Synod of Bishops and gatherings convened by the Synod of the Maronite Church. His episcopal ministry brought him into contact with figures like Rafiq Hariri, Michel Aoun, and clerical networks engaging with United Nations initiatives and the Taif Agreement aftermath.
Elected patriarch on 15 March 2011, succeeding Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir, his enthronement linked him to historical titles associated with Antioch, Alexandria, and the ancient sees of Jerusalem and Constantinople. As patriarch he was created cardinal by Pope Francis in the consistory of 2012 and has since navigated relations with the Holy See, Synod of Bishops, and patriarchal assemblies. His tenure has coincided with regional crises including the Syrian Civil War, the Lebanese political crisis, the 2020 Beirut explosion, and international mediators such as the United Nations Security Council, Arab League, and diplomatic actors like France and United States envoys.
As head of the Maronite Church, he presides over synodal structures including the Synod of the Maronite Church and engages with patriarchal synods that coordinate with the Catholic Church's congregations and the Congregation for the Oriental Churches. He has overseen appointments of eparchs and collaborated with institutions such as the Patriarchal See of Antioch, the Beirut Archeparchy, and seminaries that form clergy who serve in eparchies tied to diasporas in Argentina, Australia, Canada, France, United States, and Brazil. His leadership involves interaction with biblical scholarship linked to Patristics, scholars associated with the Pontifical Oriental Institute, and canonical matters addressed to the Roman Curia.
Al-Rahi has maintained active relations with the Holy See, participating in audiences with Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis and engaging Curial dicasteries such as the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity and the Congregation for the Oriental Churches. He has pursued ecumenical dialogue with leaders of the Eastern Orthodox Church, including delegations connected to the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, and with hierarchs from the Syriac Orthodox Church, Coptic Orthodox Church, and Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch. His outreach encompassed meetings with figures like the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I and participation in initiatives alongside World Council of Churches representatives.
Known for vocal positions on Lebanese public life, he has commented on the Taif Agreement, national sovereignty amid Syrian occupation of Lebanon legacy issues, and power-sharing arrangements among Lebanese confessional leaders including interactions with politicians such as Michel Aoun, Najib Mikati, Saad Hariri, Walid Jumblatt, and representatives of Hezbollah. He has called for national dialogue involving the Lebanese Armed Forces, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, and international stakeholders like France and the European Union while addressing crises such as the 2019–2020 Lebanese protests and economic collapse influenced by policies tied to banking elites and institutions like the Central Bank of Lebanon.
His theological orientation reflects Maronite patrimony, engagement with Patristic sources, and positions articulated in pastoral letters and statements addressed to communities across Lebanon, the Middle East, and the Maronite diaspora in Argentina, Australia, United States, and Canada. He has published pastoral directives resonant with themes from Vatican II and doctrinal concerns mediated through contacts with the Pontifical Oriental Institute, the Pontifical Gregorian University, and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Public statements have addressed interreligious coexistence with Sunni Islam, Shia Islam, and Druze leaders, humanitarian appeals to organizations such as Caritas Internationalis, and appeals to international actors including United Nations agencies during humanitarian crises.
Category:Maronite Patriarchs Category:Lebanese cardinals Category:1940 births Category:Living people