Ghattas | |
|---|---|
| Metropolitan of Baghdad, Kuwait and Dependencies | |
| Archdiocese | Antioch |
| See | Baghdad |
| Elected | 2014 |
| Term ended | Incumbent |
| Predecessor | Constantine (Papastefanou) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 1990 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Ghattas Hazim 1963 (age 61–62) |
| Denomination | Greek Orthodox |
| Alma mater | St. John of Damascus Institute of Theology |
Ghattas Hazim (born 1963, inMhardeh,Syria) is aGreek Orthodox (Eastern Orthodox) hierarch. Since 2014, he serves asMetropolitan ofBaghdad,Kuwait and Dependencies, under the jurisdiction ofGreek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East.[1]
Metropolitan Ghattas Hazim was born in 1963, inMhardeh, Syria. He earned a bachelor's degree in Theology from the St. John of Damascus Institute of Theology in 1987. He was ordained a Deacon in the Archdiocese ofHama in 1989, and a priest in 1990. He was elevated to the rank of Archimandrite and appointed Vicar to the Metropolitan of Hama. He served as the Abbot of the Monastery of St. George in Mhardeh. During this time, he oversaw the Christian Education Department in the Archdiocese of Hama. In 1999, he was consecrated by his uncle, the late PatriarchIgnatius IV of Antioch as Bishop ofQuarah. He moved toDamascus and was appointed Patriarchal Vicar.
In October 2010, he was appointed dean of the St. John of Damascus Institute of Theology and abbot of the Our Lady ofBalamand Patriarchal Monastery in northernLebanon.[2] In September 2013, he left the post of Dean,[3] while remaining the abbot of the Balamand monastery until his election to Baghdad see[4]
On 7 October 2014, after the retirement of long serving (since 1969) MetropolitanConstantine Papastephanou, the Holy Synod of Antioch elected bishop Ghattas Hazim as new "Metropolitan of Baghdad, Kuwait and Dependencies".[5] Since northern parts of his new diocese (speciallyIraq) were severely affected by devastating wars and conflicts during past two decades, upon arriving in Baghdad he was faced with many problems, starting from the fact that over 90% of the Eastern Orthodox Christians in the country have been displaced due to the security chaos which has prevailed there for the past generation. Because of that, his official seat remains in Baghdad, but administrative headquarters of the Archdiocese are still located in Kuwait.[6]
| Eastern Orthodox Church titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Metropolitan of Baghdad 2014–present | Succeeded by Incumbent |