'Red Bishop' Gregoire Haddad Passes Away

Former patriarch of the Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Beirut and Jbeil, Archbishop Gregoire Haddad passed away on Wednesday after a long battle with illness.

He was 91.

Known as the “Red Bishop”, he leaves behind a long legacy in religion, politics, and society.

Born Nakhle Amin Haddad, he took the name Gregoire in honor of Gregorios Haddad, who was the patriarch of Antioch of the Church of Antioch from 1906 to 1923.

Known for his controversial ideas, the patriarch believed in secularism ad established in 2009 a group of secularists from the Civil Society movement, which is a secular socio-political movement.

He also advocated civil marriage.

These demands prompted the Catholic Church to question his beliefs.

He spent the last years of his life battling illness.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat offered his condolences over the death of the patriarch, saying: “Lebanon lost one of its symbols of moderation, openness, and dialogue.”

“He dedicated a significant number of years of his life to stress these principles as part of his church work and later his role on the social and cultural scenes,” he remarked.