Grégoire Haddad

Grégoire Haddad in Arabic (25 September 1924 – 23 December 2015) was, from 1968 to 1975, Archeparch of the Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Beirut and Jbeil. He was known as the "Red Bishop of Beirut" promoting a secular "social movement" and a platform of rapprochement between Muslims and Christians with the onslaught of the Lebanese Civil War. He reinforced his controversial viewpoints through further secular movements and through Afaq magazine, which he founded. In 1975 under pressure from the Holy See, he resigned from active religious duty. Since his resignation, he became an emeritus archbishop without holding an actual diocese in Lebanon.

Grégoire Haddad (in Arabic غريغوار حدّاد) was born as Nakhle Amine Haddad (نخلة أمين حداد) in Souk El Gharb, a small town in Lebanon. His father Amine Nakhle Haddad was a Protestant Christian and his mother Mathilde Nawfal belonged to the Melkite Greek Catholic Church. He attended elementary school in Souk el Gharb High School from 1934 to 1936, after which he spent a year in a Basilian secondary school. By 1943 he was in a school of the Eastern Churches taught by Jesuits and ended his High School. Haddad began the study of philosophy and theology, and in 1949 was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Philippe Nabaa, his predecessor in the Episcopate of Beirut (1948-1967). He then worked as a secretary in the Archbishop's Ordinariate in Beirut and devoted himself to several social projects, and founded the Lebanese social movement. On 30 July 1965, with an appointment would come Bishop in Beirut and Jbeil and titular bishop of Palmyra of Greek Melkites. On September 5, 1965, he was ordained to the episcopate by Maximos IV Sayegh, SMSP (Archbishop of Beirut and Jbeil from 1933 to 1947) and his co-consecrators were Archbishop Philippe Nabaa (Archbishop of Beirut and Jbeil 1948-1967) and Archbishop Joseph Tawil (Archbishop of the Eparchy of Newton). In this role, Haddad also participated in the fourth session of the Second Vatican Council in part. After the death of the archbishop, he led the Diocese of Beirut and was appointed on 9 September 1968 to the Melkite Archbishopric of Beirut and Jbeil. He was a consecrator of the Archbishops Elias Nijmé, BA (Archbishop of the Archeparchy of Tripoli) and Jean Assaad Haddad (Archbishop of Tyre).

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