Ex-Maronite Patriarch Sfeir Dies Days before Turning 99

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Lebanon's former Maronite patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir, who wielded considerable political influence during the country's civil war and was an ardent advocate of a Syrian troop withdrawal, died Sunday, the church said. 

Sfeir, who was about to turn 99 on May 15, died at 3:00 am (0100 GMT) "after days of intensive medical care," said a statement by the Maronite church in Bkirki.

"The Maronite church is orphaned and Lebanon is in sadness," the statement added.

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi, who succeed Sfeir in 2011, called on churches to ring their bells and hold prayers for the late leader.

The National News Agency said Sfeir's coffin will be moved from the

Hôtel-Dieu De France Hospital in Ashrafieh to Bkirki on Wednesday and that the funeral service and burial will take place on Thursday at 5:00 pm.

Sfeir became the leader of the church in 1986 until he resigned in 2011 due to his declining health, and held the title "76th Patriarch of Antioch and the Whole Levant".

He was a respected power broker during the 1975-1990 civil war, which saw bitter infighting between rival militias including opposing Christian factions.

Sfeir, who spoke fluent Arabic and French, was made a cardinal by Pope John Paul II in 1994.

Born in 1920 in Rayfoun, a village in Lebanon's Keserwan mountains, Sfeir studied theology and philosophy but was never shy to delve into Lebanon's tumultuous politics.

His backing of the 1989 Taef agreement that brought the 15-year civil war to an end bolstered Christian support for the accord.

Sfeir also spearheaded the opposition to Syria's three decades of military and political domination over Lebanon.

"His biggest struggle was to end the Syrian presence in Lebanon, which we all thought was impossible because of the divisions in Lebanon," his biographer Antoine Saad told AFP.

"But he worked on it steadily, objectively, meticulously and quietly," he said.

Sfeir refused to visit Syria during his time as patriarch, even when John Paul II made a trip to the country in 2001.

His outspokenness helped swell the anti-Syria movement in 2000.

It eventually led to the withdrawal of thousands of Syrian troops from the country five years later, following the assassination of former prime minister Rafik Hariri, whose murder the opposition blamed on Damascus.

Sfeir's opinion and advice continued to be sought by politicians of all stripes, not only Christians, after he stepped down.

"He was completely against war," Saad said of the cleric who enjoyed hiking in nature until his late years.

"His loss can't be compensated for." 

Comments 4
Missing patriot10 12 May 2019, 10:11

Rip to a big leader.

On the other side. Hope berri and company follow soon

Thumb ex-fpm 12 May 2019, 10:11

RIP
RIP
RIP
A very sad day for every true Christian and every true Lebanese.

Thumb thepatriot 12 May 2019, 11:01

What a noble man he was... not like his pathetic successor...

Thumb chrisrushlau 12 May 2019, 15:09

So with his death we'll never know who exactly agreed to the Taef Agreement.