Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi, or, in the official form, Mar Beshara Boutros Al-Rahi, the 77th Maronite Patriarch of Antioch, was elected patriarch on March 15, 2011, after thirteen voting rounds over five days conducted by the Council of Maronite Bishops since March 11, succeeding Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir who had announced his resignation in February 2011 due to old age.
Patriarch Al-Rahi is considered the first Arab and Maronite in the modern era to participate in the papal elections after participating in the closed council of 2013.
He is known for his opinions against Iran, Syria and Hezbollah. He had previously accused Syria of seeking to return to Lebanon and continuing to interfere in its affairs and sees Hezbollah as an Iranian party in Lebanon.
Al-Rahi had previously repeated the call to confine arms to the Lebanese army. He also considered that the MP Michel Aoun is being used to split the Christian ranks and that he is a tool in the hands of Hezbollah. He also has opinions calling for the withdrawal of Palestinian weapons from Lebanon.
Born in the village of Hemlaya in the Matn District of Mount Lebanon Governorate, on February 25, 1940, his father is Youssef Al-Ra'i and his mother is Thamina. He joined the ranks of the Marian Maronite Order, the second-largest in Lebanon after the Lebanese Maronite Order in 1953.
After demonstrating his permanent vows, the monks sent him to Rome, where he continued his studies in theology and philosophy at the Pontifical University of St. John Lateran Cathedral, until 1975, where he obtained his doctorate in ecclesiastical and civil rights. During that period, he also studied ecclesiastical law and obtained the license of the Roman Rota, which gives him the position of a judge in the Universal Church.
He studied in Lebanon and Italy, worked in the Vatican, and taught theology and church rights in several universities, before becoming a bishop in 1986 and Archbishop of Byblos in 1990.
He headed several church committees from his election as bishop until his election as patriarch. In addition to being the Maronite Patriarch, he is considered the head of the Council of Eastern Catholic Patriarchs.
Pope Benedict XVI conferred upon him the title of Cardinal in the Universal Church, and he is the fourth Maronite patriarch to be conferred the title of next Pope, in the Catholic Church.
In 2005, he became the general coordinator of the Committees for the Protection of the Catholic Family in the Middle East.
On March 25, 2011, Patriarch Al-Rahi took office in the presence of the Catholic Patriarchs, representatives of the Eastern Orthodox Churches, the Evangelists, and all the bishops of the Maronite Church who participated in the election process. The Lebanese Minister, Saad Hariri, ministers and former presidents of the republic and the Armed Forces Commander, General John Kahwagi, also attended.
In the first sermon he delivered after the ordination, the Patriarch addressed the role and future of the Church and said: "We will live together in this communion of love, in Lebanon, whose "glory" is in its mission. “Woe to a nation in which sects multiplied and religion decreased."
On March 13, 2012, during his visit to Qatar, the Patriarch said that he was proud of belonging to the Arab world, and he also stated that the Arab family need to join hands more and more and cooperate so that each of these countries will succeed and grow.
Al Rahi said in his last sermon in Lebanon that it has become the duty of the country's leaders, parties, and popular movements to consult among themselves and meet to take national decisions and decide the necessary steps to push the state to change its performance before the great collapse that will not save anyone.
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