Metropolitan Ephraim (
secular name
A legal name is the name that identifies a person for legal, administrative and other official purposes. A person's legal birth name generally is the name of the person that was given for the purpose of Civil registry, registration of the birth an ...
Michel Kyriakos; born April 15, 1943) is the Metropolitan
Archbishop
In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...
of the Archdiocese of
Tripoli
Tripoli or Tripolis may refer to:
Cities and other geographic units Greece
*Tripoli, Greece, the capital of Arcadia, Greece
* Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece
* Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in ...
, al-Koura and Dependencies of the
. He was the founder and
abbot
Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the male head of a monastery in various Western religious traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not the head of a monastery. The fem ...
of the Holy
Monastery
A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which ...
of the Archangel Michael in Biq'aata, Lebanon
Life
Ephraim Kyriakos was born in Beirut, Lebanon on April 15, 1943, the son of Jamil Kyriakos and Alice Manassah. While living with his family in Achrafiyeh (East Beirut), he entered a career in telecommunications. He attended the International College in Beirut before joining the faculty of engineering of the Universite Saint Joseph (Jesuit). He continued his studies in his specialty of electronics and communications in Paris, France before working in his field in the construction of a subway station.
Turning to a teaching career, he returned to St. Joseph University where he taught. Later he continued teaching in Dekwaneh and at the National Orthodox High School (Mar-Elias)-al-Mina in Tripoli, Lebanon. He also led the Orthodox Youth Movement center in Beirut.
In 1972, Ephraim left his secular career and entered the
St. John of Damascus Institute of Theology
ST, St, or St. may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Stanza, in poetry
* Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band
* Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise
* Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy an ...
at the University of Balamand. The ongoing civil war in Lebanon in the 1970s caused, in 1975, the transfer of operations of the institute to the Theological Academy of Thessalonica in Greece. While attending the Institute, Ephraim entered
holy orders when he was
ordained
Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform va ...
a
deacon
A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Churc ...
on August 15, 1974. He was ordained a
priest
A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...
on October 15, 1978. After graduating, Patriarch
Elias IV of Antioch
Patriarch Elias IV ( ar, البطريرك إلياس الرابع ; born ʾIlyās Muʿawwaḍ ; 1914 – June 21, 1979) was the Patriarch of the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch and All the East from 1970 to 1979.
Biography
Elias Mouawwad was bo ...
asked Ephraim to return and reopen the Institute of Theology in Beirut; Ephraim served as its Dean from 1978 to 1981.
In Greece, Ephraim entered the
monastic
Monasticism (from Ancient Greek , , from , , 'alone'), also referred to as monachism, or monkhood, is a religion, religious way of life in which one renounces world (theology), worldly pursuits to devote oneself fully to spiritual work. Monastic ...
community when he was
tonsure
Tonsure () is the practice of cutting or shaving some or all of the hair on the scalp as a sign of religious devotion or humility. The term originates from the Latin word ' (meaning "clipping" or "shearing") and referred to a specific practice in ...
d a
monk
A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...
at the Monastery of St. Paul on
Mount Athos
Mount Athos (; el, Ἄθως, ) is a mountain in the distal part of the eponymous Athos peninsula and site of an important centre of Eastern Orthodox monasticism in northeastern Greece. The mountain along with the respective part of the penins ...
on October 16, 1983. At his tonsure, he received his name "Ephraim", in honor of
Ephraim the Syrian
Ephrem the Syrian ( syc, ܡܪܝ ܐܦܪܝܡ ܣܘܪܝܝܐ, Mār ʾAp̄rêm Sūryāyā, ; grc-koi, Ἐφραὶμ ὁ Σῦρος, Efrém o Sýros; la, Ephraem Syrus; am, ቅዱስ ኤፍሬም ሶርያዊ; ), also known as Saint Ephrem, Saint ...
, from the Elder Parthanios under whose spiritual direction Ephraim remained for several years.
After Ephraim returned to Lebanon, he established his own monastery in Nahr Baskinta, near Biq'aata, within the jurisdiction of Metropolitan
George (Khodr) of
Mount Lebanon
Mount Lebanon ( ar, جَبَل لُبْنَان, ''jabal lubnān'', ; syr, ܛܘܪ ܠܒ݂ܢܢ, ', , ''ṭūr lewnōn'' french: Mont Liban) is a mountain range in Lebanon. It averages above in elevation, with its peak at .
Geography
The Mount Le ...
. The name of the monastery is the Holy Archangel Michael Monastery.
Ephraim was elevated to
archimandrite
The title archimandrite ( gr, ἀρχιμανδρίτης, archimandritēs), used in Eastern Christianity, originally referred to a superior abbot (''hegumenos'', gr, ἡγούμενος, present participle of the verb meaning "to lead") who ...
on November 8, 1991 by Metr. George (Khodr). At the invitation of Bp. Alexander of Ottawa, the Elder Ephraim made an extensive visit to Canada in the autumn of 2005.
On October 6, 2009, Arch. Ephraim (Kyriakos) was elected to be the Metropolitan Archbishop of Tripoli, Koura and Dependencies of the vacant Archdiocese of Tripoli, al-Koura and Dependencies after the repose of Abp. Elias (Kurban). On October 18, 2009 in the Marian Church Damascus he was elevated to
archiepiscopacy
In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...
and was received in Tripoli the following day in festivities at the
Saint Georges Cathedral. Ephraim is fluent in Arabic, French, English, and Greek.
Writings
Metr. Ephraim is the author of a number of books and articles. Among these are books about Ss. Gregory Palamas, John Climacus, Mary of Egypt, Jacob Brother of the Lord, Barbara, and others. His articles include ''Words from the Fathers'', ''St. Ephraim the Syrian'', and ''The Gospel of Mark'' as well as those in the periodical of the Monastery of St. Michael.
Biographies
Biography of Elder Ephraim (Kyriakos) Who is Tripoli's new ArchbishopBiography of Elder Ephraim Kyriakos (English)Biography of Elder Ephraim Kyriakos (Arabic)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kyriakos, Ephraim
Eastern Orthodox metropolitans
Bishops of the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch
Eastern Orthodoxy in Lebanon
1943 births
Living people