Raphael I Bidawid
Encyclopedia
Mar Raphael I Bidawid † ' onMouseout='HidePop("61366")' href="/topics/Arabic_language">Arabic
مار روفائيل الاول بيداويد) was the patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church
from 1989-2003. He was also a Syriac scholar.
into an ethnic Assyrian
family, and took his school and seminar training in Mosul. He was ordained a priest on October 22, 1944 in Rome
and in 1946 he obtained the academic degrees of doctor of philosophy and theology
. Between 1948 and 1956 he worked as a professor of philosophy and theology in Mosul. On October 6, 1957, at the age of 35, he was ordained Bishop of Amadiyah
, by Patriarch Yousef VII Ghanima
. As bishop of Amadiyah he experienced the mass exodus of Christians from Northern Iraq. Mar Raphael Bidawid was then appointed bishop of Beirut
in 1966.
On March 21, 1989 Raphael I Bidawid was elected Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldean Catholic Church. His election was confirmed by Pope John Paul II
in June 1989. During his Patriarchate, he established Babylon College which became an instrumental educational institution for the Chaldean Church. He could speak 13 languages. He died in Beirut on July 7, 2003.
as "a real gentleman". Saddam's foreign minister Tariq Aziz was a Chaldean, and the church enjoyed some protection during his rule.
In an interview with Bidawid, published in 2003, he commented on the Assyrian name dispute and declared his ethnic point of view:
In an interview with the Assyrian Star in the September-October 1974 issue, he was quoted as saying:
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
مار روفائيل الاول بيداويد) was the patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church
Chaldean Catholic Church
The Chaldean Catholic Church , is an Eastern Syriac particular church of the Catholic Church, maintaining full communion with the Bishop of Rome and the rest of the Catholic Church...
from 1989-2003. He was also a Syriac scholar.
Life
He was born on April 17, 1922 in northern Iraqi city of MosulMosul
Mosul , is a city in northern Iraq and the capital of the Ninawa Governorate, some northwest of Baghdad. The original city stands on the west bank of the Tigris River, opposite the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh on the east bank, but the metropolitan area has now grown to encompass substantial...
into an ethnic Assyrian
Assyrian people
The Assyrian people are a distinct ethnic group whose origins lie in ancient Mesopotamia...
family, and took his school and seminar training in Mosul. He was ordained a priest on October 22, 1944 in 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...
and in 1946 he obtained the academic degrees of doctor of philosophy and theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
. Between 1948 and 1956 he worked as a professor of philosophy and theology in Mosul. On October 6, 1957, at the age of 35, he was ordained Bishop of Amadiyah
Amadiya (Chaldean Diocese)
Amadiya was a diocese of the Chaldean Church for most of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The diocese was named for the hilltop city of Amadiya in northern Iraq, and in 1913 included Amadiya itself and sixteen villages in the Tigris plain near the town of Dohuk and in the Sapna and Gomel...
, by Patriarch Yousef VII Ghanima
Yousef VII Ghanima
Mar Yousef VII Ghanima † was the patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church from 1947-1958.-Life:He was born on January 29, 1881 in Mossul and was ordained a priest on May 15, 1904. In 1925 he was ordained Auxiliary Bishop of Babylon of the Chaldean. He was the Patriarch of the Chaldean Church from...
. As bishop of Amadiyah he experienced the mass exodus of Christians from Northern Iraq. Mar Raphael Bidawid was then appointed bishop 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...
in 1966.
On March 21, 1989 Raphael I Bidawid was elected Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldean Catholic Church. His election was confirmed by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
in June 1989. During his Patriarchate, he established Babylon College which became an instrumental educational institution for the Chaldean Church. He could speak 13 languages. He died in Beirut on July 7, 2003.
Political views
As head of a 600,000 strong minority, he was obliged to be cautious. He once described Saddam HusseinSaddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
as "a real gentleman". Saddam's foreign minister Tariq Aziz was a Chaldean, and the church enjoyed some protection during his rule.
In an interview with Bidawid, published in 2003, he commented on the Assyrian name dispute and declared his ethnic point of view:
- “I personally think that these different names serve to add confusion. The original name of our Church was the ‘Church of the East’ ... When a portion of the Church of the East became Catholic, the name given was ‘Chaldean’ based on the Magi kings who came from the land of the Chaldean, to Bethlehem. The name ‘Chaldean’ does not represent an ethnicity... We have to separate what is ethnicity and what is religion... I myself, my sect is Chaldean, but ethnically, I am Assyrian.”
In an interview with the Assyrian Star in the September-October 1974 issue, he was quoted as saying:
- “Before I became a priest I was an Assyrian, before I became a bishop I was an Assyrian, I am an Assyrian today, tomorrow, forever, and I am proud of it.”