Jean Bassoul, BS, also John Bassoul, (7 May 1920 in

Maghdouché Maghdouché ( ar, مغدوشة, , ) is a town in the South Governorate of Lebanon. It is located 50 km south of Beirut and 8 km southeast of Sidon. The village lies 3 km inland from the Mediterranean, occupying a hill with elev ...

, Lebanon – 9 August 1977) was an archbishop of the Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Zahle and Forzol.

Ordination

On 11 July 1943 Bassoul was ordained priest and was appointed Chaplain of the Melkite Basilian Salvatorian Order.

Chaplain in the US

In 1960 he became Archimandrite of the Melkite parish of Roslindale in Boston, Massachusetts. The parish is part of the

Melkite Greek Catholic Eparchy of Newton Melkite Greek Catholic Eparchy of Newton (in Latin: Eparchia Neotoniensis Graecorum Melkitarum) is an ecclesiastical territory of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, a Byzantine rite Eastern Church within the Catholic Church. The eparchy is named f ...

and is also the seat of the bishop of the Melkite Christians in the United States. In his short tenure as pastor he was instrumental in the planning for the construction of the "Annunciation Melkite Catholic Cathedral" in Roslindale. After the consecration of a bishop in 1962,

John Elya John Adel Elya (16 September 1928 – 19 July 2019) was a bishop of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church. From 1993 to 2004, he served as Eparch of Newton, with jurisdiction over Melkite churches in the United States. Biography Elya, a native of ...

, BS, assumed the parish.

Archbishop

The appointment as Archbishop of Homs in Syria took place on December 5, 1961. On April 28, 1962, he was consecrated bishop in Boston by Cardinal

Richard Cushing Richard James Cushing (August 24, 1895 – November 2, 1970) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Boston from 1944 to 1970 and was made a cardinal in 1958. Cushing's main role was as fundraiser and builder ...

, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Boston. From 1962 to 1971 Bassoul headed the Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Homs. From 21 August 1971 until his death on August 9, 1977 Bassoul became archbishop of Zahle and Forzol in Lebanon. In this office he was succeeded by

Augustin Farah Augustin Farah (4 May 1910 in Kara, Lebanon – 31 March 1983) was an archbishop of the Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Tripoli and the Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Zahle and Forzol. Ecclesiastical career On September 8, 1937, he ...

. Archbishop Bassoul was from 1962 to 1965 participant in all sessions of the

Second Vatican Council The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st Catholic ecumenical councils, ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions) ...

. Bassoul was co-consecrator of the Archbishop of Beirut and Byblos,

Habib Bacha Habib Bacha, SMSP (June 24, 1931 in Tyre, Lebanon – 23 November 1999) was Melkite Archbishop of the Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Beirut and Byblos. Priests and promotion Habib Bacha received his priestly ordination on 29 June 1956 leadi ...

References

External links

* http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bbassoul.html {{DEFAULTSORT:Bassoul, Jean 1920 births 1977 deaths Lebanese Melkite Greek Catholics Melkite Greek Catholic bishops People from Sidon District