John Peter El Hajj
Encyclopedia
John XII Peter El Hajj (or Youhanna Boutros El Hajj, El-Hage, El-Haj, El-Hadj), was the Maronite Patriarch of Antioch from 1890 until his death in 1898.
, Lebanon
on November 1, 1817, son of the priest of the village. He studied in the seminary
of 'Ain-Warka and was ordinated priest
on December 26, 1839.
After having studied Islamic law
, on May 10, 1844 he was appointed judge in Mount Lebanon
, a position he held till 1855 when be became secretary of Archbishop Paolo Brunoni, a Chypriot
who was the Apostolic Legate of Syria
. During the 1860 Lebanon conflict
he took refuge in Beirut
.
He was appointed Maronite bishop of Baalbek
and consecrated bishop
on August 15, 1861. In 1876 he followed Patriarch Paul Peter Massad
in his travels to Rome, Paris and Istanbul. After Massad's death, John Peter El Hajj was unanimously elected patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites on April 28, 1890.
During his patriarchate, in 1893 he build a new palace around the earlier monastery in the winter residence of the Patriarch at Bkerké
. He also supported without any hesitation the work of Latin missionaries
He died on December 24, 1898.
Life
John Peter El Hajj was born in the village of Dlebta, in the Keserwan DistrictKeserwan District
Keserwan is a district in the Mount Lebanon Governorate , Lebanon, to the northeast of the Lebanon's capital Beirut...
, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
on November 1, 1817, son of the priest of the village. He studied in the seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
of 'Ain-Warka and was ordinated 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....
on December 26, 1839.
After having studied Islamic law
Sharia
Sharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...
, on May 10, 1844 he was appointed judge in Mount Lebanon
Mount Lebanon
Mount Lebanon , as a geographic designation, is a Lebanese mountain range, averaging above 2,200 meters in height and receiving a substantial amount of precipitation, including snow, which averages around four meters deep. It extends across the whole country along about , parallel to the...
, a position he held till 1855 when be became secretary of 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....
. During the 1860 Lebanon conflict
1860 Lebanon conflict
The 1860 Lebanon conflict was the culmination of a peasant uprising which began in the north of Lebanon as a rebellion of Maronite peasants against their Druze overlords. It soon spread to the south of the country where the rebellion changed its character, with Druze turning against the Maronite...
he took refuge in 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...
.
He was appointed Maronite bishop of Baalbek
Baalbek
Baalbek is a town in the Beqaa Valley of Lebanon, altitude , situated east of the Litani River. It is famous for its exquisitely detailed yet monumentally scaled temple ruins of the Roman period, when Baalbek, then known as Heliopolis, was one of the largest sanctuaries in the Empire...
and consecrated bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
on August 15, 1861. In 1876 he followed Patriarch Paul Peter Massad
Paul Peter Massad
Paul I Peter Massad , , was the Maronite Patriarch of Antioch from 1854 until his death in 1890.-Life:...
in his travels to Rome, Paris and Istanbul. After Massad's death, John Peter El Hajj was unanimously elected patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites on April 28, 1890.
During his patriarchate, in 1893 he build a new palace around the earlier monastery in the winter residence of the Patriarch at Bkerké
Bkerké
Bkerké is the See of the Maronite Catholic Patriarchate, located 650 m above the bay of Jounieh in Lebanon....
. He also supported without any hesitation the work of Latin missionaries
Catholic missions
As the church normally organizes itself along territorial lines, and because they had the human and material resources, religious orders—some even specializing in it—undertook most missionary work, especially in the early phases...
He died on December 24, 1898.