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His Beatitude Maronite Retired Patriarch Mar Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir laid to eternal rest

Born: May 15, 1920, Rayfoun, Lebanon
Died: May 12, 2019, Lebanon

With submission to the will of God, with great sorrow, we announce passing away of His Beatitude Maronite Retired Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir on Sunday, May 12, 2019, in Lebanon.
Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir

The late patriarch was emeritus of Lebanon's largest Christian body, the Maronite Church, an Eastern Catholic Church in communion with the See of Roman Catholic. He is also a Cardinal. He was elected Patriarch of Antioch for the Maronites on 27 April 1986, and his resignation was accepted on 26 February 2011. He is the third Maronite Cardinal and he was the 76th Patriarch of the Maronite Church. He died on Sunday, May 12, 2019.

Education: Maronite Patriarchal Seminary in Ghazir, Kisrawan, Lebanon; BA in philosophy and theology, Oriental Seminary; Institute of Saint Joseph University, 1950.

PERSONAL CHRONOLOGY:
• 1950s: Ordained a priest and appointed pastor of the Diocese of Damascus; taught Arabic literature and history of philosophy and Translation; appointed General Secretary of the Maronite Patriarchate
• 1960s: Ordained bishop and appointed patriarchal vicar
• 1970s: Patriarchal administrator.
• 1980s: President of the Executive Committee of the Assembly of the Catholic Patriarch and Bishops in Lebanon; representative of the President of the Assembly of the Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in Lebanon at Caritas-Lebanon; spiritual director to the Knights of Malta; president of the Assembly of the Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in Lebanon.
• 27 April 1986 elected patriarch by the Synod of Bishops; installed in the See of Antioch and All the East as the seventy-sixth Maronite patriarch.
• 1994: Founding member of the Assembly of the Catholic Patriarchs in the East; became Cardinal and member of the Pontifical Council for legislative interpretation and the Pastoral Health Service.
• on 26 February 2011, he resigned.
• on 12 May 2019 laid to the eternal life.

By his laying to eternal life, Patriarch Sfeir ends an important chapter of the Maronite church history. No other man in current Lebanon has left a more durable print on the ink of Lebanese history than Patriarch Sfeir, whose resignation from head of the Maronite Church was met with grateful sadness.

His Eminence and the Clergy of the Western Archdioceses extend their prayers and heartfelt condolences to the hierarchy Maronite church.

May God rest his soul in peace, Amen.