LEBANON: Syriac Maronite Church of Antioch launches memorial stamp in honor of Patriarch Elias Boutros Hoayek
AL-BATROUN, Lebanon – The name of Syriac Maronite Patriarch Elias Peter Howayek will always be associated with the establishment of Greater Lebanon. Patriarch Hoayek headed the Lebanese delegation to the Versailles peace conference. He fought for a Greater Lebanon and was proud when people called him “Patriarch of Lebanon.”
In honor of the 72nd Syriac Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and “Greater Lebanon” the Venerable Mor Elias Boutros Hoayek (1843-1931), the Syriac Maronite Church of Antioch launched a Hoayek memorial stamp. Under the patronage of Syriac Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Raï and at the invitation of the Association of Maronite Sisters of the Holy Family, the memorial stamp was presented at a festive ceremony in the Patriarch al-Hoayek Hall at the Holy Family Monastery, Ebrin, al-Batroun district.
According to Satellite TV Channel Nour Sat, the ceremony was attended by Lebanese President representative Director General Nabil Shadeed, PM representative Asaad Eid, Papal Ambassador to Lebanon Monsignor Joseph Spiteri, representatives of the heads of various Lebanese sects, MPs, and political, military, religious officials, and actors. The ceremony included speeches and featured a visual bio-documentary on the patriarch’s life. In her speech, General President of the Association of Maronite Sisters of the Holy Family Marie Antoinette Saadeh indicated that,
“Patriarch Hoayek was a man of dialogue who worked for peace, understanding and openness to the other and knew how to unite the Lebanese around one issue.”
“We meet at the ceremony of the launch of a commemorative stamp for a man who printed the history of the country, and his qualities and achievements were imprinted in the memory of the people of the country and their conscience. His virtue was a love of appeal”.
Sister Marie Antoinette Saadeh received the memorial stamp from representatives of LIBANPOST Khalil Shabir and Ronnie Richa, after which the memorial stamp was distributed to all attendees.
Below the famous picture with French General Henri Gouraud at Beirut’s Pine Residence on September 1, 1920. The representative of the French Government in the Middle East General Henri Gouraud is photographed seated next to Syriac Maronite Patriarch Elias Peter Hoayek to his right and Grand Mufti of Beirut Sheikh Mustafa Naja to his left.
Syriac Maronite Patriarch Mor Boutros al-Raï delivered a speech in which he said:
“Homelands are built by sacrifice, patience and prayer. This is what Patriarch al-Hoayek taught us. He also taught us that the civil state means citizenship instead of sectarian affiliation, and that Lebanon is always honored and its system is beautiful. Furthermore, its constitution is one of the most beautiful constitutions of countries,” indicating that building a homeland was part of the work and spirit of Patriarch al-Hoayek. It is threatened by division today.”
“Everything is beautiful in our system; this is summed up by two phrases by al-Hoayek. The first one is: “my denomination is Lebanon and all the other denominations are its social fabric.” The second one is: “citizenship, not religious or sectarian loyalty. On this basis, the constitution, the charter and the Document of National Accord have been built in the al-Taif Agreement.”
بفضل الثبات في الايمان والرجاء والصبر، استطاع اجدادنا، عبر العصور ومحنها المتنوّعة، المحافظة على وحدتهم وكرامتهم واستقلاليتهم حتى بلغوا الى انشاء دولة لبنان الكبير.
البطريرك بشارة الراعي#البطريركية_المارونية #البطريرك_الراعي #شركة_ومحبة #حياد_لبنان #لبنان_الكبير pic.twitter.com/gXlgUGgUMY— البطريركية المارونية Maronite Patriarchate (@bkerki) September 30, 2020
The name of Patriarch Elias Peter Howayek will always be associated with the establishment of Greater Lebanon. Patriarch Hoayek headed the Lebanese delegation to the Versailles peace conference. He loved it, fought for Greater Lebanon, and was proud when people called him “Patriarch of Lebanon.”
Below the famous picture with French General Henri Gouraud at Beirut’s Pine Residence on September 1, 1920. The representative of the French Government in the Middle East General Henri Gouraud is photographed seated next to Syriac Maronite Patriarch Elias Peter Hoayek to his right and Grand Mufti of Beirut Sheikh Mustafa Naja to his left.
