Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir

Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir (; الكاردينال مار نصر الله بطرس صفير; Victor Petrus Sfeir; 15 May 1920 – 12 May 2019) was the patriarch of Lebanon's largest Christian body, the Maronite Church, an Eastern Catholic Church in communion with the Holy See.

He was also given the honorific title of cardinal.

Nasrallah Sfeir was born in Rayfoun, Lebanon, on 15 May 1920.

He was educated in Beirut, and at Mar Abda School in Harharaya where he completed his primary and complementary studies, and Ghazir where he completed his secondary studies at St. Maron seminary.

He graduated in philosophy and theology in 1950 at Saint Joseph's University in Beirut.

He was ordained to the priesthood in the same year on 7 May.

From 1951 to 1955 he served as priest to the parish of Rayfoun.

In 1956, he was appointed the secretary of the Maronite Patriarchate, based in Bkerké.

In the same year, he became professor of translation in literature and philosophy at the Frères Maristes (Marist Brothers) School in Jounieh.

On 23 June 1961 Sfeir was appointed Titular bishop and Patriarchal vicar.

On 16 July 1961, he was consecrated the titular bishop of Tarsus by Patriarch Paul Peter Meouchi and had as his co-consecrators João Chedid, Titular bishop of Arca in Phoenicia dei Maroniti, and Michael Doumith, Eparch of Sarba.

Consequently, Sfeir served as Patriarchal vicar.

He became a strong voice for reason and sanity in the latter years of the Lebanese Civil War, which raged from 1975 to 1990.

He often spoke out against social and political injustices, and for the poor and disenfranchised.

His writings and sermons set out his vision of how Lebanon could achieve a free and prosperous future.

Sfeir wrote several books, including "The sources of the Gospel-Bkerké", (1975); "Personalities that disappeared 1961–1974", (two volumes); and "Sunday sermons: spiritual reflections and stand of national positions", (several volumes, 1988).

Sfeir was fluent in many languages: Syriac, French, Italian, Aramaic and Latin, as well as his native Arabic, being proficient in both classical and Lebanese dialects.

He was the 76th patriarch of the Maronite Church, with the official title of "His Beatitude the 76th Patriarch of Antioch and the Whole Levant".

He was elected Patriarch of Antioch for the Maronites on 27 April 1986, and his resignation was accepted on 26 February 2011.

He was elected to the primacy of the Maronite Church by the Council of Maronite Bishops, on 19 April 1986, and he was confirmed by Pope John Paul II on 7 May 1986.

Sfeir was keen on accelerating liturgical reforms.

Like his predecessor, Sfeir largely stayed out of politics during the first few years of his tenure as patriarch, generally deferring to the stance of the Lebanese President, but by 1989 he had become embroiled in national politics.

On 17 February 1989, two days after General Michel Aoun launched an offensive against Lebanese Forces (LF) positions in East Beirut, in which 70 people were killed, Sfeir convened a meeting of Christian leaders at the seat of the Maronite Church in Bkerké.

The conclave backed Aoun's attempt to control the LF, calling for a restoration of state authority and the re-unification of state institutions.

Following renewed violence as Aoun's attempted to blockade the militia run seaports South of Beirut a second conclave was held on 19 April, after which 23 Christian members of parliament called for a cease fire.

The summer that followed degenerated into almost continuous shelling between Aoun's troops and the Syrians with their allies the PSP.

Intense Arab diplomacy led to the Taif agreement and, on 5 November 1989, the Lebanese Parliament elected a new president, Rene Muawad.

Sfeir supported the Taif proposals which Aoun rejected.

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in support of Aoun, surrounding him in the Presidential palace in Baabda.

About 1,500 of his supporters invaded Bkerké.

Sfeir was manhandled and filmed being forced to kiss a photo of Aoun.

The following day he moved to the safety of Syrian controlled North Lebanon.

This work bore fruit in 1992 with the publication of a new Maronite Missal, which represents an attempt to return to the original form of the Antiochene Liturgy.

Its Service of the Word has been described as far more enriched than previous Missals, and it features six Anaphoras (Eucharistic Prayers).

Serving as the Vicar for two previous patriarchs prepared Sfeir for the role in both the ecclesiastical and civil spheres.

Sfeir was made a cardinal by Pope John Paul II in the consistory of 26 November 1994.

As the patriarch of a sui juris particular church who has been made a cardinal, Sfeir was a cardinal bishop.

He did not participate in the conclaves of 2005 and 2013, having already reached the age limit of 80.

Cardinal Sfeir submitted his resignation to the Congregation for the Oriental Churches in Rome in late 2010, but his resignation was not initially accepted because six Maronite bishops had submitted their resignations after reaching the retirement age of 75 in June 2010 His resignation was finally accepted by Pope Benedict XVI on 26 February 2011.

Cardinal Sfeir was succeeded by Bishop Bechara Boutros Rahi who was elected as the new Patriarch for Antioch on 15 March 2011.