Clement Bahouth
Encyclopedia
Clement Michael Bahouth was patriarch
of the Melkite Catholic Church from 1856 until his resignation in 1864.
. In 1816 he entered in the Holy Saviour monastery of the Basilian Salvatorian Order
and professed monastic
vows in 1818. He was ordained priest
in about 1824. Before 1826 he visited Rome
. From 1826 to 1835 he was Melkite chaplain
in Livorno
, Italy
. On 10 August 1836 he was consecrated bishop of Acre
by patriarch Maximos III Mazloum
, taking the name of Clement.
At the death of patriarch Maximos III Mazloum, the synod of the Melkite Catholic bishops elected Clement Bahouth as patriarch on 1 April 1856. His election was supported by both the bishops partisans of Mazloum's line and by Archbishop Paolo Brunoni, a Chypriot
who was the Apostolic Legate of Syria
. The same electoral synod, having in mind the last authoritative years of Maximos Mazloum, issued decrees to limit the patriarchal authority. Clement Bahouth's election was confirmed by Pope Pius IX
on 16 June 1856.
Clement Bahouth was docile to the demand of Archbishop Paolo Brunoni to Latinize
the Eastern Catholic Churches. Without consulting other Melkite bishops, in January 1857 he introduced the Gregorian Calendar
in place of the Julian Calendar
to promote conformity with the uses of the Latin Rite as well as of the Maronites and of the Syriac Catholic Church
; that act caused some discontent within the Melkite Church, and the opposition was led by the Archbishop of Beirut
, Agapis Riyasi, the same who led the opposition against Maximos Mazloum some years before. Clement Bahouth, seen the discontent, resigned in August 1858, but the majority of the Melkite clergy and laity asked Rome to reject Clement's resignation, as it happened in September 1858. The 1859-1860 war between Maronites and Druze
s, and the massacre of Christians in Damascus
became more important issues than the calendar's one for most of the Melkites. A new player appeared: the Russian Orthodox Church
, hoping to expand its influence in the Middle East, persuaded three of the bishops opponent to Clement Bahouth to formalize a schism, known as schism of the sarqiin, creating a new Church separated from both the Melkite Catholic Church and from the Antiochian Orthodox Church
. This schism, notwithstanding the funds given by Russia to build churches, ended after a few years, and never numbered more than five thousand adherents.
In 1864 Clement Bahouth asked Rome again to resign and to elect as successor Gregory Youssef
, who was appointed bishop of Acre a few years before by Clement himself. This time Rome authorized the resignation, and a synod of bishops was summoned 24 September 1864. At the opening of synod Clement announced his resignation, and the synod in a few days elected Gregory II Youssef
according to Clement's wishes. After this synod Clement Bahouth returned to live as a simple novice
monk. In 1870 he participated silently at the First Vatican Council
. He died on 13 June 1882 in the Holy Saviour monastery, where he was buried.
Patriarch
Originally a patriarch was a man who exercised autocratic authority as a pater familias over an extended family. The system of such rule of families by senior males is called patriarchy. This is a Greek word, a compound of πατριά , "lineage, descent", esp...
of the Melkite Catholic Church from 1856 until his resignation in 1864.
Life
Michael Bahouth was born in 1799 near AcreAcre, Israel
Acre , is a city in the Western Galilee region of northern Israel at the northern extremity of Haifa Bay. Acre is one of the oldest continuously inhabited sites in the country....
. In 1816 he entered in the Holy Saviour monastery of the Basilian Salvatorian Order
Basilian Salvatorian Order
The Basilian Salvatorian Order is a religious order of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church. The Latin name of this order is Ordo Basilianus Sanctissimi Salvatoris, the French name is Ordre Basilien Salvatorien. The name cames from its motherhouse, the Holy Saviour monastery, The Basilian Salvatorian...
and professed monastic
Christian monasticism
Christian monasticism is a practice which began to develop early in the history of the Christian Church, modeled upon scriptural examples and ideals, including those in the Old Testament, but not mandated as an institution in the scriptures. It has come to be regulated by religious rules Christian...
vows in 1818. He was ordained priest
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
in about 1824. Before 1826 he visited Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. From 1826 to 1835 he was Melkite chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
in Livorno
Livorno
Livorno , traditionally Leghorn , is a port city on the Tyrrhenian Sea on the western edge of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of approximately 160,000 residents in 2009.- History :...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. On 10 August 1836 he was consecrated bishop of Acre
Acre, Israel
Acre , is a city in the Western Galilee region of northern Israel at the northern extremity of Haifa Bay. Acre is one of the oldest continuously inhabited sites in the country....
by patriarch Maximos III Mazloum
Maximos III Mazloum
Maximos III Michael Mazloum, was patriarch of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church from 1833 until 1855. As patriarch he reformed church administration and bolstered clerical education...
, taking the name of Clement.
At the death of patriarch Maximos III Mazloum, the synod of the Melkite Catholic bishops elected Clement Bahouth as patriarch on 1 April 1856. His election was supported by both the bishops partisans of Mazloum's line and by Archbishop Paolo Brunoni, a Chypriot
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
who was the Apostolic Legate of Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
. The same electoral synod, having in mind the last authoritative years of Maximos Mazloum, issued decrees to limit the patriarchal authority. Clement Bahouth's election was confirmed by Pope Pius IX
Pope Pius IX
Blessed Pope Pius IX , born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was the longest-reigning elected Pope in the history of the Catholic Church, serving from 16 June 1846 until his death, a period of nearly 32 years. During his pontificate, he convened the First Vatican Council in 1869, which decreed papal...
on 16 June 1856.
Clement Bahouth was docile to the demand of Archbishop Paolo Brunoni to Latinize
Liturgical Latinisation
Liturgical Latinisation, also known as Latinisation, is the process by which liturgical and other aspects of the Churches of Eastern Christianity were altered to resemble more closely the practices of the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church...
the Eastern Catholic Churches. Without consulting other Melkite bishops, in January 1857 he introduced the Gregorian Calendar
Gregorian calendar
The Gregorian calendar, also known as the Western calendar, or Christian calendar, is the internationally accepted civil calendar. It was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII, after whom the calendar was named, by a decree signed on 24 February 1582, a papal bull known by its opening words Inter...
in place of the Julian Calendar
Julian calendar
The Julian calendar began in 45 BC as a reform of the Roman calendar by Julius Caesar. It was chosen after consultation with the astronomer Sosigenes of Alexandria and was probably designed to approximate the tropical year .The Julian calendar has a regular year of 365 days divided into 12 months...
to promote conformity with the uses of the Latin Rite as well as of the Maronites and of the Syriac Catholic Church
Syriac Catholic Church
The Syriac Catholic Church is a Christian church in the Levant having practices and rites in common with the Syriac Orthodox Church. They are one of the Eastern Catholic Churches following the Antiochene rite, the Syriac tradition of Antioch, along with the Maronites and Syro-Malankara Christians...
; that act caused some discontent within the Melkite Church, and the opposition was led by the Archbishop of Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
, Agapis Riyasi, the same who led the opposition against Maximos Mazloum some years before. Clement Bahouth, seen the discontent, resigned in August 1858, but the majority of the Melkite clergy and laity asked Rome to reject Clement's resignation, as it happened in September 1858. The 1859-1860 war between Maronites and Druze
Druze
The Druze are an esoteric, monotheistic religious community, found primarily in Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan, which emerged during the 11th century from Ismailism. The Druze have an eclectic set of beliefs that incorporate several elements from Abrahamic religions, Gnosticism, Neoplatonism...
s, and the massacre of Christians in Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
became more important issues than the calendar's one for most of the Melkites. A new player appeared: the Russian Orthodox Church
Russian Orthodox Church
The Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
, hoping to expand its influence in the Middle East, persuaded three of the bishops opponent to Clement Bahouth to formalize a schism, known as schism of the sarqiin, creating a new Church separated from both the Melkite Catholic Church and from the Antiochian Orthodox Church
Antiochian Orthodox Church
The Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch, also known as the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East and the Antiochian Orthodox Church , is an autocephalous Greek Orthodox Church within the wider communion of Orthodox Christianity...
. This schism, notwithstanding the funds given by Russia to build churches, ended after a few years, and never numbered more than five thousand adherents.
In 1864 Clement Bahouth asked Rome again to resign and to elect as successor Gregory Youssef
Gregory II Youssef
Patriarch Gregory II Youssef, also known as Gregory II Hanna Youssef-Sayour , was Patriarch of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church from 1864 to 1897...
, who was appointed bishop of Acre a few years before by Clement himself. This time Rome authorized the resignation, and a synod of bishops was summoned 24 September 1864. At the opening of synod Clement announced his resignation, and the synod in a few days elected Gregory II Youssef
Gregory II Youssef
Patriarch Gregory II Youssef, also known as Gregory II Hanna Youssef-Sayour , was Patriarch of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church from 1864 to 1897...
according to Clement's wishes. After this synod Clement Bahouth returned to live as a simple novice
Novitiate
Novitiate, alt. noviciate, is the period of training and preparation that a novice monastic or member of a religious order undergoes prior to taking vows in order to discern whether they are called to the religious life....
monk. In 1870 he participated silently at the First Vatican Council
First Vatican Council
The First Vatican Council was convoked by Pope Pius IX on 29 June 1868, after a period of planning and preparation that began on 6 December 1864. This twentieth ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church, held three centuries after the Council of Trent, opened on 8 December 1869 and adjourned...
. He died on 13 June 1882 in the Holy Saviour monastery, where he was buried.