www.byzcath.org Forums News & Events Church News New Melkite Bishop for Montreal

Dear OrthodoxEast,

Always!

By the way, I heard that our OCA Bishop Seraphim is currently on pilgrimage to the holy sites of Bukkovyna with a number of his Bukovynian parishioners!!

I wonder if he is of Bukovynian background himself?

It would make sense, he is so wonderful and kind . . .

They should have bumper stickers that read: "I'd rather be in Bukovyna!"

God bless,

Alex

Much depends on whose press release one reads. I received two a couple of hours ago regarding Archimandrite Ibrahim's appointment to Canada. The press release from the Patriarchate informs me that Patriarch Gregory III announced the election in the name of the Holy Synod. The press release from the Vatican says what it says. Something similar happened about 30 years ago at the enthronement of Archbishop Joseph of Newton - he was enthroned by the Patriarch in the name of the Synod. On realizing this, the Apostolic Delegate whispered an instruction to the photographer, walked to the throne, placed his hand on the Archbishop's pastoral staff, had a photograph taken, and then released a press statement claiming to have enthroned the Archbishop. Go figure. Incognitus

Dear Incognitus,

Then that person should have told the Vatican envoy "Hands off!"

Our motto should be "Don't touch our bishops!"

Alex

May God bless him with many years of peace, health, and happiness!

The bishop-elect was born in Jinsnaya, Libya in 1962 and was ordained a priest in 1987.

Is it me, or ate the bishops being appointed very young? 41 years old! The Holy Father is truly planting youthful seed fot the next generation of the Church.

Rose

Dear Alex,

I have been told that Bishop Serafim is of Norwegian-North American ancestry. And yes he is an extremely affable fellow.

In Christ,
Andrew

Shlomo Lkhoolkhoon,
Just a small correction: Eparch Ibrahim was born in Jinsnaya, Lebanon not Libya.

Poosh BaShlomo Lkhoolkhoon,
Yuhannon

We at The Church of St. Basil the Great, Lincoln, RI learned that our Achimandrite Joseph Haggar was selected to become Epoch of Canada. Health reasons forced him to decline. Fr Joe is American born and is originally from New York.

Well, Ron, an epoch is one long time! :-)

OrthodoxEast

Sorry about that. My computer always confuses the "o" with an "a". I'll be careful in the future.

Bishop-elect Ibrahim Ibrahim will be the 5th youngest bishop in the world at his consecration.

(And there is another bishop with a similar name: Bishop Ibrahim Namo Ibrahim, Bishop of Saint Thomas the Apostle of Detroit (Chaldean), USA)

Dear Andrew,

Orthodoxy in North America is blessed indeed to have such a bishop as Vladyka Seraphim!

He kindly blessed my lestovka and said that it will be a blessing to me in life.

And that's the Gospel truth!

Alex

Dear Alex,

Bp Serafim and I occasionally lunched together during his visits to St. Vladimir's Seminary.

I am convinced that Bp Serafim must be a man of great compassion. He even allowed the Albanians in Toronto to recently open an Albanian-language parish within his Archdiocese of Canada. It is called St. Astius. This was a first century martyr in the city of Durres, Albania.

In Christ,
Andrew

Shlomo Lkhoolkhoon,
Here is more news. Also this appointment is refective of what has been happening lately within Eastern Catholicism. That is either Native born or naturalize citizens are now being made Eparchs here in the Americas instead of some one from the old county that has limited knowledge of our Cultures.

Poosh BaShlomo Lkhoolkhoon,
Yuhannon


Brooklyn church pastor named by pope to lead Melkites in Canada

06/21/03

David Briggs
Plain Dealer Reporter


A Cleveland-area pastor has been named spiritual leader of the Melkite Catholic Church in Canada.

Pope John Paul II this week appointed the Rev. Ibrahim Ibrahim, pastor of St. Elias Melkite Church in Brooklyn, to be bishop of St. Sauveur de Montreal of the Melkite Catholic Church.

Ibrahim will be the prelate for some 43,000 church members in 12 parishes in Canada.

"I'm excited. I'm challenged. I'm very happy, very proud and very honored," Ibrahim said in an interview.

At 41, Ibrahim is the youngest bishop in the Melkite Catholic Church, which traces its modern roots to an early-18th-century schism with the Eastern Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch. Its beginnings were in what is now Syria and Lebanon, but immigration from the Middle East has created significant Melkite communities in the West. The United States has 38 parishes with an estimated 28,000 members.

Ibrahim was born in Lebanon in 1962 and ordained to the priesthood in 1987. During his time in Northeast Ohio, he has served the Melkite Church in the United States and as a member of the Church's Presbyteral Council and College of Consultors.

He also was active in ecumenical and interfaith work, receiving from the Cleveland Catholic Diocese an award for the promotion of Christian unity and interreligious dialogue.

"I consider it the most blessed period of time in my life," Ibrahim said of his 12 years in Northeast Ohio. "Cleveland will always be home for me."


In particular, he said his relationship with the people at St. Elias was more than one between a pastor and a congregation. He compared it to "a relationship of a family and a family member."

Bishop John A. Elya, eparch of the Melkite Diocese in the United States, said in a statement, "The appointment of Bishop Ibrahim is a well-deserved opportunity, reflective of his devotion, spiritual leadership and commitment to preserve the rich legacy of the Melkite Catholic Church."

Ibrahim expects to assume his new position in Canada later this summer.

Elya also announced the appointment of the Rev. Youssef Youssef, pastor of St. Joseph Melkite Catholic Church in Lawrence, Mass., to succeed Ibrahim as pastor of St. Elias in Brooklyn. Youssef is expected to be at St. Elias sometime next month.