Elias (Audi) of Beirut

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His Eminence, the Most Reverend Elias (Audi) of Beirut is the Metropolitan of the Archdiocese of Beirut in Lebanon, under the jurisdiction of the Church of Antioch.

Life

Elias Audi was born in 1941 in Anfeh El-Koura, in north Lebanon. After completing his education in Lebanon and graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy, he enrolled at St. Vladimir Theological Seminary in New York, United States of America from which he graduated in 1969 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theology.

During 1968, he returned to Lebanon, where he was ordained a deacon by Bishop Elias Kurban of Tripoli at the Lady of Natour Monastery on August 18, before returning St. Vladimir's seminary to complete his studies for a degree in theology. Completing his studies, he was ordained to the priesthood in July 1969 by Metropolitan Phillip (Salibi), Primate of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America and was appointed the priest of St. Mary's  Church in Yonkers, New York.

In 1971, Fr. Elias assumed the position of Assistant Dean at the St. John of Damascus Institute of Theology of the University of Balamand in Lebanon at the request of the Holy Council of the Church of Antioch. In 1975, Fr. Elias studied for his doctorate degree in Greece. In 1979, he was called to Damascus to assist the newly enthroned Patriarch of Antioch, His Beatitude Ignatius IV (Hazim) of Antioch and all the East.

On November 18,1979, Fr. Elias was elected bishop as the Patriarchal Vicar. On February 5, 1980, the Holy Council of the Church of Antioch elected him metropolitan of the Archdiocese of Beirut. After his enthronement on the following April 9 at the see of the archdiocese in Achrafieh in East Beirut, Metr. Elias served his first hierarchical liturgy at the Church of St. Nicholas in Achrafieh on April 13.

During the time Metr. Elias has served the Archdiocese of Beirut he has represented the Church of Antioch in meetings of the Council of Middle East Churches and the World Council of Churches. He has also served as a member of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches from 1991 to 1998 and has chaired the Joint Dialogue Committee between the Vatican and the World Council of Churches.

Succession box:
Elias (Audi) of Beirut
Preceded by:
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Metropolitan Vicar
1979-1980
Succeeded by:
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Preceded by:
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Metropolitan of Beirut
1980-Present
Succeeded by:
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