Patriarch Elias IV (Muawad)
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Patriarch Elias IV (Muawad) (1912-1979)
Elias may be spelt Elia, Elie, Elyas, Ilya, Ilia, Elijah.
Muawad may be spelt Moawad, Mouawad.
Elias Ben Diab Muawad
Elias Ben Diab Muawad was born in 1912, in an Orthodox Christian family in the village of Arsoun (near Salima) of the Baabda District (or Metn District) in the Mount Lebanon Governorate of Lebanon (at that time, in the Ottoman Empire).
Raised in the bosom of the Antiochian Orthodox Church, he completed his primary and secondary education in the Monastery of Saint George (Deir El Harf) of the Diocese of Jbeil (Byblos) and Batroun (Batruna) (Mount Lebanon Governorate), and in the schools of the Orthodox community in Homs and Damascus.
Monastic tonsure
At an unknown date, Elias Muawad was tonsured to be a monk, although it could have been as early as his time in the school of the Monastery of Saint George.
Diaconal Ordination, 1932
Monk Elias (Muawad) was ordained to the Holy Diaconate in 1932.
Diaconal service
After having been ordained to the Holy Diaconate, Hierodeacon Elias (Muawad) travelled to Constantinople (Istanbul), where he enrolled in the Halki Holy Trinity Theological School. This school was and is part of Holy Trinity Monastery on Halki Island (also called Heybeliada), one of the Princes' Islands in the Sea of Marmora, near Constantinople/Istanbul.
Halki Monastery and Theological School
Presbyteral ordination
During the period of his studies (or at some time thereafter), Hierodeacon Elias (Muawad) was ordained to the Holy Priesthood.
Presbyteral service
Hieromonk Elias (Muawad) graduated from the Halki Theological School in 1939.
He was assigned to serve as the Director of the Balamand Seminary.
He studied Arabic literature at the Syrian Orthodox School in Damascus.
In 1947, Hieromonk Elias was commissioned to serve in Brazil, in the Archdiocese of São Paulo and Brazil. He was sent to take care of the Arab community in Rio de Janeiro, and he remained there for 3 years.
In 1950, Hieromonk Elias (Muawad) was elected by the Antiochian Holy Synod to become a bishop.
Episcopal ordination, 1950
In 1950, the Archimandrite Elias (Muawad) was ordained to the Holy Episcopate by bishops of the Church of Antioch.
Episcopal service
In 1950, Bishop Elias (Muawad) was assigned to serve as the Metropolitan of Berroia and Alexandretta, (the ancient title for the Metropolitan of Aleppo).
During the 1960s, Bishop Elias (Muawad) gave an interview, during which he made a thunderous statement. Many might misunderstand it. He spoke about the Faith, and the Church as the Body of Christ that carries His fulness and Truth through the presence of the Holy Spirit. He obviously did not speak about the Church as a mere institution :
The Church doesn't need new blood. Humans need this new blood : to understand the Church. The Church doesn't need to match some people's opinions. It is man that should be in harmony with the Church. I don't believe that the Church needs renewal : truth cannot be renewed ; knowledge cannot be renewed ; faith cannot be renewed ; ethics cannot be renewed.
In 1969, on behalf of Patriarch Theodosius VI (Abourjaily), Metropolitan Elias (Muawad) ordained Archimandrite Constantine (Papastephanou) to the Holy Episcopate as the Bishop of the Diocese of Baghdad, Kuwait and Dependencies ; and he ordained Archimandrite Alexis (Abdel-Karim) to the Holy Episcopate as the Bishop of the Diocese of Homs.
In March, 1970, Metropolitan Elias participated in the meeting of the consultation of the World Council of Churches about the “Dialogue between Men of Living Faiths”, which was held at Ajaltoun, near Beirut, in the Mount Lebanon Governorate of Lebanon. It was a meeting that included Hindus, Buddhists, Christians and Muslims. With regard to the subject of Palestine, he concluded his statement : “Palestine will remain for us, and will remain as long as we believe in our right and defend our lives”.
On 19 September, 1970, immediately after the repose in Christ of Patriarch Theodosius VI (Abourjaily), Metropolitan Elias (Muawad) was elected by the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Church of Antioch to become the next patriarch.
Patriarch, 1970
On 25 September, 1970, only 6 days after the repose of his predecessor, Metropolitan Elias (Muawad) was enthroned in the Mariamite Patriarchal Cathedral in Damascus to be the patriarch. The solemn Divine Liturgy of installation and thanksgiving was led by the newly-elected Patriarch. As usual, the enthronement by the bishops of the Holy Synod took place during the Trisagion Hymn of the Divine Liturgy.
Mariamite Dormition Cathedral, Damascus
Patriarchal service
Upon his enthronement, he became known as Patriarch Elias IV (Muawad), Patriarch of Antioch and all the East. His title included his name as “Elias IV”, since he was the fourth patriarch who bore this name in the history of the Church of Antioch. He was the 170th patriarch since the Apostles Peter and Paul.
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Patriarch Elias IV (Muawad)
Customary fraternal visits to Autocephalous Orthodox Church leaders
After the enthronement, Patriarch Elias began to make the customary visits to the leaders of other autocephalous Orthodox Churches. He visited Greece, Russia, Bulgaria, and the Americas. He tried to visit the Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras (Spyrou) in Constantinople (Istanbul), Turkey, but the Government of Turkey refused to allow him to do so unless he entered the country in civilian clothes. This is a law of this secular state. (However, some patriarchs and others do manage to travel to the Antiochian Patriarchate while wearing their clerical attire).
Patriarch Elias incensing the Holy Gifts during the Anaphora of the Divine Liturgy
According to the “San Antonio Express” (27 September, 1970, p. 98), Patriarch Elias was an outspoken supporter of the Palestinian right to a homeland, and he termed his followers in the Antiochian Orthodox Church as “Christian Arabs”.
The time of service of Patriarch Elias was characterised by intense participation in Middle Eastern politics. This was necessary because of the many difficulties faced by both Syria and Lebanon. There was also an increased participation in the Arab diaspora on several continents. These 2 characteristics have since then influenced the life of the Middle Eastern Christians.
At the first session of the Damascus-based "Milli Orthodox Council" held on 6 May, 1974, Patriarch Elias said :
I have vowed myself to the Lord, and I am not a student of glory or money. I have committed myself to sacrifice in the Church of Christ. We are rightfully Arabs, and we will not abandon this right whatever the consequences. For generations upon generations, we have protected them [Arab Christians] with brotherhood, love, and faith [...] and they, our brothers, will remain protected by our faith, and our love.
Patriarch Elias referred repeatedly and emphatically to the Orthodox Christian Faithful entrusted to him as “Arab Christians”, a descriptive term that was not at that time often used. For the most part, Orthodox Christians in the Middle East have been called “Roman Orthodox”, or “Roum Orthodox”, which refers to their origin as Orthodox Christians in the Roman Empire from the first century A.D. It was natural for them, as it was for Greek-speakers, to refer to themselves as Romans. There are also those who might wish to insinuate that the Orthodox Christians of Syria and Lebanon and Palestine might have come from elsewhere. This is incorrect. The Christian families in particular are the descendants of those families who have inhabited these lands from ancient times, who have been Christians since the time of the Apostles Peter and Paul, and who did not submit to Islam in the seventh century. Because this history is not obvious to an “outsider”, even to the local Muslim, it was necessary to emphasise that the Orthodox Christians of this region were the people, Arabs, who had lived on this territory for the past several thousand years.
On 22 June, 1972, Patriarch Elias IV (Muawad) presided over the assembly which established the new Statute of the Church of Antioch.
In February, 1974, he took part in the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation’s second Summit, in Lahore, Pakistan. On occasion, he was called “Patriarch of the Arabs” by King Faisal of Saudi Arabia.
Visit to Saudi Arabia, 1975
In 1975, Patriarch Elias IV visited Saudi Arabia, where he met King Khalid bin Abdul Aziz and discussed with him Arab concerns. He suggested that the king hold an Islamic-Christian conference to discuss the matters concerning Jerusalem.
Visit to the USA, and to Canada, 1977
In the Spring of 1977, Patriarch Elias IV travelled to the USA for an extended visit. He was the first of 163 Antiochian patriarchs since the time of Christ ever to do so. There, in the course of his visits, he met President J Carter, to whom he emphasised the necessity of independence for Palestinians in the Middle East. The patriarch told reporters that he had “urged the president to bring peace in the Middle East”, and that such a peace would require a solution to the Palestinian homeland concern (or “problem” as it is often called).
Patriarch Elias visited Canada (in particular Montréal, Québec). At that time, parishioners from many parts of the country travelled to be with him at a celebration of the Primatial Divine Liturgy in the Bonaventure Hotel. He also visited Saint George's Antiochian Orthodox Church on Jean Talon Street East. This parish, the oldest Antiochian Orthodox parish in Canada, was founded by Saint Raphael (Hawaweeny).
In May, 1977, Patriarch Elias visited Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in Crestwood, New York. This seminary has always had a good number of students and professors belonging to the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. During his visit, he blessed and dedicated officially a new dormitory and staff residence, which had been constructed to accommodate the seminary's continued growth.
Later that month, he addressed a convention in Washington, D.C. of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. He spoke then of his efforts in the USA and throughout the Orthodox world to bring about pan-Orthodox unity, which he said was “inevitable”.
Visit to Mexico, 1978
In 1978, Patriarch Elias IV visited the country and the Archdiocese of Mexico.
"Patriarch of the Arabs"
It was written about him that “Patriarch Elias defended the cause of the first Arabs of Palestine. He was truly worthy of the title of Patriarch of the Arabs : all the Arabs from the Ocean to the Gulf, Christians and Muslims. He was the Patriarch of the Arabs, Patriarch of the Arab conscience”.
The physical territory of the Patriarchate of Antioch includes Syria, Lebanon (the political distinction between Syria and Lebanon was introduced in the 20th century), Jordan and Iraq (Mesopotamia). Beyond this territory, there is “all the East”, which includes the Arabian Peninsula and beyond (historically, this included Persia, India and China).
Since the days of emigration, the responsibility came to include “non-territorial” Archdioceses and Exarchates of Australia and New Zealand, Central America, North America, South America, and Western Europe.
During the time of Patriarch Elias IV (Muawad), it was estimated that there were about 250,000 Orthodox Christian believers in North America (including Canada), South America, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq who were part of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church.
Repose, 1979
Patriarch Elias IV (Muawad) fell asleep in the Lord on 21 June, 1979, after having suffered a severe heart attack (according to the “Al-Nour” magazine, no. 5 of 1979). However, at the same time, it is alleged strongly that the patriarch had been poisoned by someone, perhaps because of his support for the Palestinians. There are other theories about why he may have been poisoned. The argument is that the poison blackened his body in rapid decomposition so that even his hands were covered (it is usual that a bishop's face only be covered) at the time of the funeral. In this context, “the bishops of the Holy Synod called the Fathers of the Antiochian Church from the whole world. Thus, the page of a man who passed from Metn to Istanbul was ended, the Patriarch of Antioch”.
It has been customary that a departed bishop's body be sat in an appropriate chair at the time of the funeral. The people approach him and, touching the vestments and kissing the right hand, take the blessing and pay their respects.
The funeral was attended by delegations from various Autocephalous Local Orthodox Churches, including the Russian Orthodox Church ; by prominent representatives of the Christian Churches in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt, as well as by a representative of the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, a UN representative, ministers and deputies of the parliaments of Syria and Lebanon, envoys of the heads of various countries. In particular, the prime ministers of Syria and Lebanon, on behalf of the presidents of their countries, were present.
After the Funeral Services for the Burial of a Hierarch, in the Holy Dormition Mariamite Patriarchal Cathedral, which were served by bishops of the Holy Synod, his body was interred in the Mariamite (Mariameh) Cathedral and Patriarchate Cemetery in Damascus.
— Metropolitan of Aleppo (Berroia and Alexandretta) 1950-1970. Preceded by : Bishop Rafael (Nemer). Succeeded by : ____.
— Patriarch of Antioch and all the East 1970-1979. Preceded by : Patriarch Theodosius VI (Abourjaily). Succeeded by : Patriarch Ignatius IV (Hazim).
Writings
• "On Modern Greek Poetry" (1956, written at the request of the Syrian Ministry of Culture)
• "Life and Works of the Chief Apostles Peter and Paul" (based on Greek sources)
• "New Trends in Orthodox Theology"
• "The Resurrection of God in [Mary] Magdalene"
• “Why did God agree to be tortured on the Cross ?”
Many books and articles were translated from Greek by Patriarch Elias IV into Arabic. He composed introductions to some of them, and to others he added commentaries.
Sayidna Elias wrote many articles in Arabic, some of which were published in the “Al-Noor” (“The Light”) magazine :
• The “Apostolic Fathers”
• The “Bishop of Rome”
• The “Teaching of the Twelve Apostles”
• The “Epistle of Barnabus”
• The “Seven Epistles of Saint Ignatius of Antioch”
• The “Epistle of Polycarp, Bishop of Izmir (Smyrna)”
• The “Shepherd of Hermas”
• Saint John Chrysostom’s Sermons on Baptism
• “Paul of Tarsus” by Joseph Holzner
• Anthology of the Literature of the Church Fathers
• Holy Mount Athos by Pope Athanasas IV
• Study of “The Life in Christ” by Saint Nicholas Cabasilas
• “The Way of Grace”
• Development of Orthodox Theology
• Saint Roman the Melodist’s Kontakia on the treachery of Judas
• “Freedom from the Passions” by Saint Isaac the Syrian
• “The Resurrection of the Lord”
Editor of the magazine “Grace”
Author of the article about the Suffering and Pain of Christ
The Ministry of Culture and National Guidance of Syria issued his book about modern Greek poetry, which was reprinted in 1984.
Other articles found in the “Al-Noor” magazine and in “The Word” magazine :
• “Al-Noor”, issue 9 (1964)
• “Al-Noor”, issue 1 (1971)
• “Al-Noor”, issue 3 (1971)
• “Al-Noor”, issue 6 (1971)
• “Al-Noor”, no. 1 (1972) (Greece)
• “Al-Noor”, issue 7 (1978)
• “Al Noor”, issue 5 (1979) (Russia)
• “Al-Noor”, issue 7 (1979)
• “Al-Kalimat” (“The Word”), no. 3 (1991)
Articles about Patriarch Elias found in the “Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate” (JMP)
• (Orekhov), Bishop Germogen, ‘Patriarch Elijah IV of Antioch and All the East’ in “JMP”, no. 2 (1971), pp. 48-50.
• ‘Enthronement of Patriarch Elijah IV of Antioch and All the East’ in “JMP”, no. 2 (1971), pp. 50-53.
• Ilyich, Protopresbyter I, ‘Visit to the Patriarch of Antioch’ in “JMP”, no. 5 (1971), pp. 9-10.
• ‘Visit to the Russian Orthodox Church by Patriarch Ilia IV of Antioch and All the East’ in “JMP”, no. 3 (1972), pp. 5-8.
• ‘Visit of His Holiness Patriarch Pimen of Moscow and All Russia’ in “JMP”, no. 6 (1972), pp. 4-7.
• ‘Patriarch Pimen (Izvekov) of Moscow and all Russia : Words and Speeches spoken in Syria and Lebanon” in “JMP”, no. 9 (1972), pp. 7-14.
• Dymsha, Priest S, ‘Pilgrimage of the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church to the Patriarchate of Antioch in Syria and Lebanon’ in “JMP”, no. 9 (1972), pp. 15-22.
• ‘Delegation of the Church of Antioch in the Soviet Union’ in “JMP”, no. 1 (1975), p. 4.
• ‘Repose of Patriarch Elijah IV of Antioch and All the East’ in “JMP”, no. 8 (1979), pp. 7-8.
• (Kuznetsov), Anatoly, ‘Obituary of Patriarch Ilia IV of Antioch and All the East’ in “JMP”, no. 9 (1979), pp. 40-43.
• Awad, S, ‘Patriarch Ilya IV of Antioch’ in “Orthodox Legacy”, no. 8 (Beirut, 2008).
References
'Elias the Patriarch of the Arabs' biography by Samer Awad in "Orthodox Heritage"
Orthodox Encyclopedia biography
Additional information :
Boosahda, Elizabeth, “Arab-American Faces and Voices : The Origins of an Immigrant Community” (Austin, Texas : University of Texas Press, 2003). ISBN : 0-292-70919-6.
Corey, George S, Gilquist, Peter E, Mackoul, Anne Glynn, Sam, Jean, Schneirla, Paul, eds., "The First One Hundred Years : A Centennial Anthology Celebrating Antiochian Orthodoxy in North America" (Englewood, NJ : Antakya Press, 1995). BX738.A753F57.
Hage, Wolfgang, “Das orientalische Christentum” (Stuttgart : W Kohlhammer, 2007), p. 111. ISBN 9783170176683
Meyendorff, John, “Imperial Unity and Christian Divisions: The Church 450-680 A.D.” The Church in History, 2. (Crestwood, NY : St. Vladimir's Seminary Press 1989). ISBN : 978-0-88-141056-3.
Ostrogorsky, George, “History of the Byzantine State” (Oxford : Basil Blackwell, 1956).
Panchenko, Constantin A, ”Arab Orthodox Christians under the Ottomans : 1516-1831”, translated by Samuel and Brittany Noble (Jordanville, NY : Holy Trinity Seminary Press, 2016). ISBN : 978-1-942699-08-8.
Romanides, John, “Franks, Romans, Feudalism, and Doctrine: An Interplay Between Theology and Society” (Brooklyn, MA : Holy Cross Press, 1982). ISBN : 0916586545.
Tarasar, C J, gen. ed., “Orthodox America 1794-1976 Development of the Orthodox Church in America”, (Syosett, New York : The Orthodox Church in America, 1975).
Treiger, A, and Noble, Samuel, “The Orthodox Church in the Arab world, 700-1700: An Anthology of Sources” (Chicago, IL : Northern Illinois University Press, 2014). ISBN-10 : 0875807011. ISBN-13 : 978-0875807010.
“Patriarch Elias IV – Moawad : Pages of his Heart and his Mind 1914-1979”
A list of Patriarchs of Antioch
The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East web-site
"New York Times" article about the patriarchal election
‘Patriarch Elias IV-Mouad : Patriarch of the Arabs’ in “An-Nahar” (Lebanese newspaper)
Wikipedia article about the Arab Diaspora
Orthodoxwiki article about the Church of Antioch
Wikipedia article about the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch
Mariamite Cathedral of Damascus
Wikipedia article about Damascus
Syria Wikipedia article about Syria
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