Ghattas Hazim (born 1963, in

Mhardeh Maharda ( ar, محردة, Maḥarda, ), also spelled Mhardeh or Muhardah, is a city in northern Syria, administratively part of the Hama Governorate, located about 23 kilometers northwest of Hama. It is situated along the Orontes River, near t ...

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

) is a

Greek Orthodox The term Greek Orthodox Church (Greek language, Greek: Ἑλληνορθόδοξη Ἐκκλησία, ''Ellinorthódoxi Ekklisía'', ) has two meanings. The broader meaning designates "the Eastern Orthodox Church, entire body of Orthodox (Chalced ...

(

Eastern Orthodox Eastern Orthodoxy, also known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is one of the three main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholicism and Protestantism. Like the Pentarchy of the first millennium, the mainstream (or "canonical") ...

) hierarch. Since 2014, he serves as

Metropolitan Metropolitan may refer to: * Metropolitan area, a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories * Metropolitan borough, a form of local government district in England * Metropolitan county, a typ ...

Baghdad Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon ...

Kuwait Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...

and Dependencies, under the jurisdiction of

Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch ( el, Ελληνορθόδοξο Πατριαρχείο Αντιοχείας), also known as the Antiochian Orthodox Church and legally as the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East ( ar ...

Biography

Metropolitan Ghattas Hazim was born in 1963, in

, Syria. He earned a bachelor's degree in Theology from the St. John of Damascus Institute of Theology in 1987. He was ordained a Deacon in the Archdiocese of

Hama , timezone = EET , utc_offset = +2 , timezone_DST = EEST , utc_offset_DST = +3 , postal_code_type = , postal_code = , ar ...

in 1989, and a priest in 1990. He was elevated to the rank of Archimandrite and appointed Vicar to the Metropolitan of Hama. He served as the Abbot of the Monastery of St. George in Mhardeh. During this time, he oversaw the Christian Education Department in the Archdiocese of Hama. In 1999, he was consecrated by his uncle, the late Patriarch

Ignatius IV of Antioch Ignatius is a male given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include: Given name Religious * Ignatius of Antioch (35–108), saint and martyr, Apostolic Father, early Christian bishop * Ignatius of Constantinople (797–877), Cath ...

as Bishop of Quarah. He moved to

Damascus )), is an adjective which means "spacious". , motto = , image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg , image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg , seal_type = Seal , map_caption = , ...

and was appointed Patriarchal Vicar. In October 2010, he appointed dean of the St. John of Damascus Institute of Theology and abbot of the Our Lady of

Balamand The Balamand Monastery (historically called Belmont, Bellimontis ultra Mare, or Bellus-Mons), is a monastery for the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch founded in 1157 in Balamand (Belmont), the Crusader County of Tripoli, now in the Koura Distric ...

Patriarchal Monastery in northern

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 ...

. In September 2013, he was dismissed from the post of Dean, while remaining the abbot of the Balamand monastery until his election to Baghdad see On 7 October 2014, after the retirement of long serving (since 1969) Metropolitan

Constantine Papastephanou Constantine Papastephanou ( el, Κωνσταντίνος Παπαστεφάνου; born 1924, Damascus, State of Damascus – 17 April 2016, Athens, Greece) was an Eastern Orthodox hierarch and long serving (1969-2014) Metropolitan bishop, Metropoli ...

, the Holy Synod of Antioch elected bishop Ghattas Hazim as new "Metropolitan of Baghdad, Kuwait and Dependencies". Since northern parts of his new diocese (specially

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

) were severely affected by devastating wars and conflicts during past two decades, upon arriving in Baghdad he was faced with many problems, starting from the fact that over 90% of the Eastern Orthodox Christians in the country have been displaced due to the security chaos which has prevailed there for the past generation. Because of that, his official seat remains in Baghdad, but administrative headquarters of the Archdiocese are still located in Kuwait.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hazim, Ghattas 1963 births People from Hama Governorate Greek Orthodox Christians from Syria Bishops of the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch Eastern Orthodoxy in Iraq Eastern Orthodoxy in Kuwait 20th-century Eastern Orthodox bishops 21st-century Eastern Orthodox bishops Living people People from Bethlehem

Biography

See also

References