In Lebanon, the beatification ceremony for Stéphane Douaihy, Maronite Patriarch of Antioch, has taken place. The liturgy, presided over by Cardinal Marcelo Semeraro on behalf of the Pope, emphasized that the new Blessed faced many persecutions and trials. Nevertheless, he retained his pastoral mercy, remaining devoted to his people and to the Church.
The beatification ceremonies were held near Beirut, in Bkerké, the residence of the Maronite Patriarch. The Prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints mentioned in his homily a biblical reference to Lebanon, proclaimed before the Gospel: "The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon" (Ps 92:13).
For him, having come from Rome, this image holds particular significance. "The cedar is distinguished by its majesty, the vibrant green of its leaves, and the quality of its wood. Reinterpreted in a Christian context, it symbolizes the faithful, firmly rooted in the house of God, the Church, offering shade for the comfort of their brothers," insisted Cardinal Semeraro. He stressed that this image applies well to the new Blessed, Stéphane Douaihy.
The papal envoy noted that he held the office of Patriarch of the Maronite Church for over thirty years, a period marked by persecutions and internal conflicts. "During these years, he did not live a single day in peace. He had to, on numerous occasions, abandon the patriarchal see for safer refuges, often in very precarious conditions," he recalled.
The Prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints compared the new Blessed to the "good shepherd." He emphasized that this holds great importance in our time, where one encounters in the Church irresponsible persons who, instead of thinking of the common good, care only for themselves. He noted that Blessed Stéphane always sought the good of his people, preached the Gospel of peace, and was also a great diplomat.
Cardinal Semeraro referred to a letter that the Patriarch of the time had sent to the King of France, in which he described the sufferings of his people and asked for them to be taken under his protection. The papal envoy stressed that "for his Church and his people, reduced to extreme poverty, our Blessed becomes a beggar imploring for help."
Cardinal Semeraro also appreciated the importance of the ecumenical dimension of the new Blessed's ministry. He indicated that he "practiced ecumenical love, animated by a strong sense of the catholicity of the Church, living in a context often difficult due to relations with other Christian confessions and with Islam." The papal envoy observed that the new Blessed is a model of pastoral love, love for his Church, and an example of Catholic fraternity.
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Estephane (Stéphane) Boutros al-Douaihy was born on August 2, 1630, in Ehden. At the age of three, he lost his father. At 11, he was sent to the Maronite College in Rome, where he studied for 14 years, deepening his knowledge of rhetoric, logic, mathematics, philosophy, theology, and many languages, including Arabic, Syriac, Italian, Latin, and Greek. Although high positions were offered to him, he refused to stay in Rome and decided to return to Lebanon, as he wished to serve the people. He was ordained a priest in Ehden in 1656. He later worked in Aleppo and in Lebanese villages, and in 1668, he was elected bishop of the Maronite eparchy of Cyprus, then Patriarch in 1670. Despite persecutions, Douaihy continued his academic work, often writing while hidden in caves. He died on May 3, 1704, in the Kadisha Valley.
The new Blessed is known as a prominent Lebanese historian and theologian, nicknamed "the Father of Maronite History" and "the Second Chrysostom." Lebanese priest Antonio, a student at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, emphasized in an interview with "Aleteia" that Blessed Stéphane is recognized for having promoted the unity of the Church and shown how to combine faith and knowledge. The Lebanese priest recalled that the new Blessed loved teaching children and writing books, and that his homilies strengthened the faith of many people. In his writings, he courageously defended the orthodoxy of the Maronite faith and its unity with Rome.
It is noteworthy that Blessed Stéphane is considered one of the fathers of the Maronite Church: the latter owes its foundation to the hermit Saint Maron, its unification in Lebanon to its first Patriarch, Saint John Maron, and its resilience and organization to the Blessed Patriarch Stéphane Douaihy.
This article was originally published by Ekai (Article Link).