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Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center

His Excellency Sayedna / Sayidna / Archbishop Elias Chacour

Appointed Sayedna / Sayidna / Archbishop of Akka, Haifa, Nazareth and All of Galilee

On Feb. 8, 2006, Abouna Elias Chacour was apointed Sayedna / Sayidna / Archbishop of Akka, Haifa, Nazareth and All of Galilee.

Announcement in Catholic World News.

Palestinian Melkite becomes first Israeli citizen named a bishop

Jerusalem, Feb. 09 (CWNews.com) - The Melkite Catholic Synod has named Father Elias Chacour, an Israeli Palestinian, to be the next Archbishop of Galilee.

Archbishop-elect Chacour, who currently heads an Arabic university in Ibillin, a town in Gailliee, is the first Israeli citizen ever to be selected as a Catholic bishop.

Known for his efforts to promote friendship between Arabs and Jews, the new archbishop has twice been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. He acknowledged to the Israeli publication Haaretz that he was taking over the Melkite archdiocese at a "fairly difficult time for relations between Jews, Arabs, and Muslims." But in a separate comment to the Jerusalem Post he said: "I hope to be a moderating voice in the conflict that has spilled too much blood."

The Melkite Catholic Archdiocese of Jerusalem extends over all of Israel and the Palestinian territories. Archbishop-elect Chacour will also be the first Hebrew-speaking leader for the archdiocese, which serves about 55,000 Eastern Catholics.

President of Mar Elias Educational Institutions

His Excellency Sayedna / Sayidna / Archbishop Elias Chacour is President of Mar Elias Educational Institutions.

Contact Information

Abouna Elias Chacour, President
Mar Elias Educational Institutions
P.O. Box 102
Ibillin 30012
Galilee, Israel
Office Tel.: 011-972-04-9866848 or +972 (0)4 986 6848
Office Fax: 011-972-04-9866848 or +972 (0)4 986 6848
E-mail: office@m-e-c.org
Web site: http://www.m-e-c.org/ Please contact Abouna Elias Chacour via his office.

Books

Abouna Elias Chacour is the author of two very well known books:

• Blood Brothers
  by Authors: Elias Chacour, David Hazard, and James A. Baker III
  Released: February, 2003
  ISBN: 0800793218
  Paperback
• We Belong to the Land: The Story of a Palestinian Israeli Who Lives for Peace and Reconciliation
  (Erma Konya Kess Lives of the Just and Virtuous Series)
  by Authors: Elias Chacour and Mary E. Jensen
  Released: April, 2001
  ISBN: 0268019630

Honors

Abouna Elias Chacour has been honored for his work on behalf of peace.

• Nominated three times for the Nobel Peace Prize (1986, 1989, 1994).
• Received:
• World Methodist Peace Prize (1994).
• Niwano Peace Prize awarded by a prestigious Buddhist group in Japan (2001).
• Honorary doctorates from Emory University and University of Indianapolis (2001).
• Italian Dante Aligheiri Human Rights Award (2002).
• Mediterranean Peace Award (2003).
• International Award from the Council of America's First Freedom Award (2005).

Biography

Abouna Elias Chacour was born to a Palestinian Christian family in the village of Biram in Upper Galilee in 1939.
The Israeli authorities evicted the whole village in 1947.
Abouna Elias Chacour became a citizen of Israel when the state was created in 1948.

In 1965, Abouna Elias Chacour was appointed as priest of the Church of St. Joseph, in Ibillin.

Tour United States

Abouna Elias Chacour periodically tours many countries, including the United States.
His appearances in the United States are listed on the Pilgrims of Ibillin. Please click on "Father Chacour's visits to the United States".

Charitable Donation

Donations (check and items) are welcomed.
A tax deduction on the U.S. income tax can be made for contributions to registered charities in the U.S. For Mar Elias Educational Institutions, the registed U.S. charity is Pilgrims of Ibillin. Please click on "Ways to Help".
Abouna Elias Chacour has a bank account that accepts American checks and converts American money into Israeli money.

Name

Abouna Elias Chacour's last name is difficult to transliterate from the Arabic. "Chacour" has been transliterated as "Shacour", "Shakour" and "Shaquore".

More Information

Abuna Elias Chacour Mar Elias Educational Institutions

A Brief Report of Trip to Ibillin, Israel, by Don Griggs - December 2002 Melkite Greek Catholic Church Eparchy of Newton, Roslindale, Massachusetts, United States

Pilgrims of Ibillin Pilgrims of Ibillin organization
"Pilgrims of Ibillin" mailing list for those who might like to receive regular news from Father Chacour.
Please send an e-mail to Donald Griggs at dongriggs@comcast.net

Japanese Buddhist Niwano Prize Goes To Palestinian Priest Sts. Peter and Paul Melkite Catholic Church, Please click on Resource Center in the left hand index.
Within the Resource Center, click on the name of the article.

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Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center is dedicated to my cousins: Bucky (Richard C. Liles) and Shirley (Shirley Jean Liles Buck). Bucky fell asleep in the Lord on Dec. 12, 2000 and Shirley fell asleep in the Lord on Nov. 8, 2001.
O God of all spirits and of all flesh, who have destroyed death, overcome the devil, and given life to the world: grant, O Lord, to the souls of your servants Bucky and Shirley, who has departed from this life, that it may rest in a place of light, in a place of happiness, in a place of peace, where there is no pain, no grief, no sighing. And since You are a gracious God and the Lover of Mankind, forgive him/her every sin he/she has committed by thought, or word, or deed, for there is not a man who lives and does not sin : You alone are without sin, your righteousness is everlasting, and your word is true. You are the Resurrection and the Life, and the repose of your departed servants Bucky and Shirley. O Christ our God, and we send up glory to You, together with your eternal Father and your all-holy, good and life-givng Spirit, now and always and for ages upon ages. Amen.

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Last Updated: Wednesday, June 07, 2006, 06:47:41, PDT
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