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THE MELKITE COMMUNITY MOURNING THE PASSING OF ARCHBISHOP HABIB BASHA |
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THE MELKITE COMMUNITY MOURNING THE PASSING OF ARCHBISHOP HABIB BASHA |
A man of dialogue, Archbishop Basha was known for his open mind and tolerance.
The death of Archbishop Habib Basha, the Melkite Catholic archbishop of Beirut and Byblos who, after many years of service to his people and his homeland, passed away at the age of 68 from a fatal heart attack, has deeply affected his flock.
Habib Basha felt the call to a religious life early. After study in a seminary and work on the parish level, he became superior-general of the Seminary of St. Paul in Jerusalem. He later served in Harissa, Latakia and finally in Beirut.
The life of this man of religion was a long struggle, filled with obstacles that he managed to overcome due to his serious and continuous work on behalf of his community. He also concerned himself with national problems. A man of dialogue respected by others for his open mind and tolerance, his attitude and struggles won the respect and esteem of all Lebanese communities.
He was a great builder, who accomplished many important objectives, of which we may underline only the most recent, that of the residential housing complex for low-income citizens, recently inaugurated. Born in Tyre in 1931, Habib Basha was ordained priest on September 14, 1956, after completing his studies in theology and philosophy in Jerusalem. He was consecrated bishop in 1975, and pursued his studies in Rome, where he obtained a doctorate in theology. In Rome he taught at the Arabic Pontifical Studies Institute and was appointed member of the secretariat for handling relations with Islamic countries. From 1968 to 1975, he was superior-general of the St. Paul's Missionaries before being appointed as bishop of Latakia in Syria.
However, it was as archbishop of Beirut that he most distinguished himself, especially during the war years, which were a painful time for him as for all Lebanese. In one incident he watched helplessly as his bishopric, located on the Damascus Road, on the demarcation line, was sacked. Fortunately, he was subsequently able to rebuild the bishopric. Mgr. Basha understood the rising generation and co-chaired the Council of the Lay Apostolate with Zahle's Maronite bishop, Archbishop Georges Iskandar.
When Archbishop Basha was no longer able to assume his duties, the Greek Catholic patriarch, Patriarch Maximos V Hakim, appointed Archbishop Yuhanna Haddad, of Tyre, as the patriarchal vicar in charge of the Beirut archdiocese. Archbishop Basha’s funeral took place on Thursday, November 25, at the church of St. John Chrysostom, where a large congregation headed by representatives of the three senior state officials was gathered. He was buried at St. Paul's Cathedral in Harissa. Monday Morning extends its sympathy and its sincere condolences to the Melkite clergy and community, particularly to His Beatitude, Patriarch Maximos V Hakim.
[Monday Morning. Issue No.1405. Monday, November 29, 1999. http://www.mmorning.com]