Maronite Church and Lebanon celebrated on Friday the beatification of Patriarch Estephan Douaihy, in a festive mass headed by the Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi, at the Patriarchal Palace in Bkerke, with the participation of Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.
Today, Saturday, a grand mass is planned in Ehden, the birthplace of the newly beatified and a summer retreat for the people of Zgharta.
The beatification ceremony was attended by: Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, former Presidents Amin Gemayel and Michel Sleiman, Deputy Speaker of Parliament Elias Bou Saab, and ministers in the caretaker government: Minister of Information Ziad Makary, Education Abbas Halabi, Economy and Trade Amin Salam, Industry George Bouchikian, Communications Johnny Corm and Foreign Affairs Abdullah Bou Habib, in addition to a number of Deputies, security officials and diplomats.
Born in Ehden, on August 2, 1630, Douaihy was considered one of the major
Lebanese historians of the 17th century and was known as ‘The Father of Maronite History’, ‘Pillar of the Maronite Church’, The Second Chrysostom, ‘Splendor of the Maronite Nation’, and ‘The Glory of Lebanon and the Maronites’.
As bishop, and later as Patriarch, he undertook reforms of the Maronite Church and its monks. Douaihy was elected Patriarch on 20 May 1670, when he was only 40 years old, but was confirmed by Rome only on 8 August 1672.
He paid particular attention to the traditions of the Maronite Church, and favoured a de-Latinisation of rites and ceremonies. He was hounded by Ottoman authorities, who resented his principled appeals for justice for the Maronites.
Douaihy traveled throughout the Maronite world, including Cyprus and Aleppo.
Almost immediately after his death, on 3 May 1704 in Qannubine, Kadisha Valley, he was considered by many Maronites of Lebanon, but particularly in North Lebanon and in Zgharta, Ehden to have been a saint. The Positio for the beatification cause was published in
2005 and it received the approval of the Historical Commission of the Congregation of the Causes of Saints on 24 January 2006.
On 3 July 2008 Pope Benedict XVI authorised the Congregation for the Causes of Saints to draw up a decree on the heroic virtues of Patriarch al-Douaihy who will be referred to as Venerable from the moment of publication of the decree. Some of the miracles attributed to him have been collected by M.S. El Douaihy.
A miracle attributed to his intercession was investigated and was subject to a diocesan investigation; the miracle received formal ratification from the Congregation for the Causes of Saints on 30 January 2014. Pope Francis approved the miracle required for his beatification on 17 March 2024.
Douaihy joins an already long list of saints, blessed, and venerable in Lebanon, including Saint Charbel, Saint Rafqa, and Saint Nehmatallah Hardini.
Douaihy’s impact on the Maronite Church ranks him among the three most influential figures of Maronite spiritual leadership, following
the church’s Patron Saint Maroun and the first Patriarch, Youhanna Maroun.
Source: National News Agency – Lebanon