Moussa El-Hage ( ar, موسى الحاج, born on 19 February 1954, in

Aintoura Aintoura ( ar, عينطورة) is a town and municipality in the Keserwan District of the Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate, Lebanon. It is located 18 kilometers north of Beirut. The average elevation of Aintoura is 230 meters above sea level and its tot ...

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...

), is a Maronite Catholic

eparch Eparchy ( gr, ἐπαρχία, la, eparchía / ''overlordship'') is an ecclesiastical unit in Eastern Christianity, that is equivalent to a diocese in Western Christianity. Eparchy is governed by an ''eparch'', who is a bishop. Depending on t ...

, now

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

Archeparchy of Haifa and the Holy Land The Archeparchy of Haifa and the Holy Land (in Latin: Archieparchia Ptolemaidensis Maronitarum in the Holy Land) is a branch of the Maronite Church immediately subject to the Patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites. Since 2012, it has been governed ...

and Patriarchal Exarch of Jerusalem and Palestine and Jordan.

Life

Moussa El-Hage joined the Maronite religious

Antonin Maronite Order The Antonins, known formally as the Antonin Maronite Order ( la, Ordo Antonianorum Maronitarum; abbreviated OAM), is a monastic order of pontifical right for men in the Maronite Church, which from the beginning has been specifically a monastic C ...

in 1972, making

vow A vow ( Lat. ''votum'', vow, promise; see vote) is a promise or oath. A vow is used as a promise, a promise solemn rather than casual. Marriage vows Marriage vows are binding promises each partner in a couple makes to the other during a wedd ...

s in 1979, receiving holy orders on 14 August 1980. He studied Philosophy and Theology at the

Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas A pontifical ( la, pontificale) is a Christian liturgical book containing the liturgies that only a bishop may perform. Among the liturgies are those of the ordinal for the ordination and consecration of deacons, priests, and bishops to Holy O ...

and Biblical Theology in Studium Biblicum Franciscanum (part of the

Pontifical University Antonianum The Antonianum, also known as the Pontifical University of Saint Anthony ( la, Pontificia Universitas Antonianum, it, Pontificia Università Antonianum), and as Pontifical Athenaeum Antonianum, is a Franciscan pontifical university in Rome named ...

), and is a PhD in Oriental Studies and Liturgy at the Pontifical Oriental Institute. In addition to Arabic, El-Hage speaks English, French and Italian; and knows the languages Syriac, Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic. After being ordained, he received several orders in the Maronite pastoral mission in southern Lebanon (until 1985), and was

rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...

of the seminary of St. Anthony of Padua in Karmsadi. Later he carried out several positions in your order, as well as the University Antonian. Back in Lebanon, was abbot of the monasteries of Saint Sergius and Saint Bacchus in Ihdin and Sarurta.

Episcopate

On June 16, 2012

Pope Benedict XVI Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the sovereign ...

confirmed his appointment as Patriarchal Exarch of Jerusalem and Palestine and Jordan, as well as Archbishop of Haifa and the Holy Land. He was consecrated bishop on 28 July of the same year, by Maronite Patriarch of Antioch, Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, as principal consecrator. His co-consecrators were

Samir Mazloum Samir Mazloum (born 10 September 1934 in Kaakour, Lebanon) is an Emeritus Curial bishop of the Maronite Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch. Life Samir Mazloum received on 7 June 1964 his priestly ordination. Pope John Paul II appointed him on 11 No ...

Titular bishop A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese. By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox an ...

of Callinicum dei Maroniti,

Guy-Paul Noujaim Guy-Paul Noujaim (born 7 July 1935 in Kfartay, Lebanon) is a Lebanese eparch and emeritus Auxiliary bishop of the Maronite Catholic Eparchy of Joubbé, Sarba and Jounieh. Life Guy-Paul Noujaim received on 11 June 1967 his priestly ordination. Pope ...

, Titular Bishop of Caesarea Philippi,

Paul Youssef Matar Paul Youssef Matar (born 1 February 1941 in Naameh, Lebanon) was the former Archeparch of the Maronite Catholic Archeparchy of Beirut. The archeparchial seat is the city of Beirut, at the Saint George Cathedral. Life Paul Youssef Matar was bor ...

, Archeparch of Beirut,

Francis Némé Baïssari Francis Némé Baïssari (September 18, 1933 in Knat, Lebanon – February 24, 2015) was a Maronite Catholic bishop of the Maronite Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch and of the Maronite Catholic Eparchy of Joubbé, Sarba and Jounieh. Life Ordained ...

, Titular Bishop of Aradus,

Paul Nabil El-Sayah Paul Nabil El-Sayah (in Arabic: بولس نبيل الصياح, born on 26 December 1939 in Aïn el Kharroubé, Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is ...

, Curial Bishop of Antioch,

Joseph Mohsen Béchara Joseph Mohsen Béchara (19 March 1935 – 9 June 2020) was a Maronite archbishop of the Maronite Catholic Archeparchy of Cyprus and the Maronite Catholic Archeparchy of Antelias. Life Joseph Mohsen Béchara received on 19 April 1963 the sacramen ...

, Emeritus Eparch of Antelias,

Simon Atallah Simon Atallah, OAM (born on 10 January 1937 in Hemayri, Lebanon) is a Lebanese Maronite emeritus eparch of the Maronite Catholic Eparchy of Baalbek-Deir El Ahmar. Life Simon Atallah joined the OAM and received on 8 December 1963 his ordination t ...

, Eparch of Baalbek-Deir El-Ahmar,

François Eid François Eid, OMM (born on 24 July 1943 in Mtolleh, Chouf District, Lebanon) is a retired Maronite Bishop of the Maronite Catholic Eparchy of Cairo and Procurator of the Maronite Patriarch at the Holy See. Life François Eid joined the OMM of t ...

, OMM, Emeritus Eparch of Cairo,

Edgard Madi Edgard Madi or Edgard Amine Madi (born 23 March 1956 in Beit Mery, Lebanon) is the bishop of the Maronite Catholic Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of São Paulo in Brazil. Biography Edgard Madi ended his high school and began his studies at Collèg ...

, Eparch of Nossa Senhora do Líbano em São Paulo, and

Michel Aoun Michel Naim Aoun ( ar, ميشال نعيم عون ; born 30 September 1933) is a Lebanese politician and former military general who served as the President of Lebanon from 31 October 2016 until 30 October 2022. Born in Haret Hreik to a Mar ...

, Eparch of Byblos. On January 27, 2014

Pope Francis Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013. ...

named him apostolic administrator of

Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Akka Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Akka (in Arabic: أبرشية عكا وحيفا والناصرة وسائر الجليل للروم الملكيين الكاثوليك) is an Eastern Catholic diocese of Melkite Greek Catholic Church (Byzan ...

of Greek-Melkites after the resignation of the holder

Elias Chacour Elias Chacour ( ar, الياس شقور, he, אליאס שקור; born 29 November 1939) is a Palestinian Arab-Israeli who served as the Archbishop of Akko, Haifa, Nazareth and All Galilee of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church from 2006 to 2014. ...

.press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bo
El-Hage is a member of the Biblical Commission (since 1993) and liturgical (since 2011) of the Maronite Patriarchate.

References

External links

* http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/blehagem.html * http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/diocese/haif0.htm {{DEFAULTSORT:Hage, Moussa 21st-century Maronite Catholic bishops 1954 births Lebanese Maronites Members of Catholic orders and societies Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas alumni Pontifical Oriental Institute alumni Living people People from Keserwan District