View source for Joseph (Al-Zehlaoui) of New York

[[Image:BishopJOSEPH.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Bishop Joseph of Los Angeles in 2006.]]
'''Joseph (Al-Zehlaoui)''' (born in 1950) was the Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of North America, the former [[primate]] of the Self-Ruled [[Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America]], serving since his election by the Holy Synod of Antioch on July 3, 2014 until his retirement in 2022. He previously served as the auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles and the West. Joseph was defrocked and deposed of all priestly ranks by the Antiochian Church on March 13, 2024 after threatening to sue the Church because of money.

==Life==
===Early Years===
Joseph G. Al-Zehlaoui was born on November 2, 1950, in Damascus, Syria to Georgi and Mathil (Baghdan) Al Zehlaoui. He received his elementary education at the St. John of Damascus and Al Assiyeh schools in Damascus, and his secondary education at [[Monastery of Our Lady of Balamand|Balamand Monastery]] in Koura, Northern Lebanon. He then studied philosophy at Lebanese University in Beirut and theology, languages and music at Salonika University in Greece. He is fluent in Arabic, English and Greek.

===Early pastoral roles===
Bishop Joseph was [[ordination|ordained]] to the holy [[deacon|diaconate]] while a student in Salonica, in December, 1976. Subsequently, he was ordained to the Holy Priesthood by His Beatitude, Patriarch [[Ignatius IV (Hazim) of Antioch|Ignatius IV]], at St. Mary Cathedral in Damascus in December, 1980. While a deacon, he served parishes in Salonica.  As a [[priest]], he was dean of St. Mary Cathedral of Damascus, and overseer of the Holy Cross Church and other parishes in the suburbs of Damascus. In 1983, he pastored the Arab Orthodox faithful living in London, England, and in 1986 was sent to Cyprus to minister to the Arab Orthodox living on the island.  His election to the holy [[episcopate]] was on [[May 5]], 1991, and the [[consecration of a bishop|consecration]] was on [[June 30]], 1991, in the Holy Cathedral of the [[Church of Antioch|Patriarchate]] in Damascus with the title ''Bishop of Katana, Syria''. 

[[Image:Joseph Al-Zehlaoui.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Bp. Joseph serving the [[Divine Liturgy]] at the side of Metr. [[Philip (Saliba) of New York|Philip (Saliba)]] in Brooklyn, New York.]] 
===Administrative roles===
During his clerical ministry, he served as General Supervisor and Professor of Religious Education at the Al Assiyeh Orthodox College and supervised the Patriarchal headquarters in Damascus. Besides being the Patriarchal Assistant during the past several years, Bishop Joseph served as the secretary to the Holy Synod of Antioch, Editor-in-Chief of the Patriarchal Bulletin and participated in several theological conferences in Greece, Texas and Australia.

===A bishop for the Western USA===
At the request of His Eminence, Metropolitan [[Philip (Saliba) of New York]], His Grace was selected by the [[Holy Synod]] of Antioch on [[January 24]], 1995, to be an [[auxiliary bishop]] for the [[Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America]]. 

On [[September 12]], 2004, His Grace, Bishop Joseph, was [[enthronement|enthroned]] as the first bishop of the Holy Diocese of Los Angeles and the West by Metr. Philip and the Local Holy Synod of the Archdiocese.

=== Defrocking ===
After Metropolitan Joseph's retirement in 2022, he himself hired attorneys and threatened to sue the Archdiocese, demanding a large sum of money, untimately filing a lawsuit against the Church. In 2024, the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Antioch was convened and found Joseph guilty of canonical violations.

He was defrocked and returned to laity on March 13, 2024.

==External links==
*[http://www.antiochian.org/ Archdiocese Website] 
*[http://www.antiochianladiocese.org/ Diocese Website]

{{start box}}
{{succession|
before=—|
title=Bishop of Katana|
years=1991–2004|
after=—}}
{{succession|
before=—|
title=[[Diocese of Los Angeles and the West (Antiochian)|Bishop of Los Angeles]]|
years=2004–2011|
after=''(promoted to Archbishop)''}}
{{succession|
before=''(promoted to Archbishop)''|
title=[[Diocese of Los Angeles and the West (Antiochian)|Archbishop of Los Angeles]]|
years=2011–2014|
after=—}}
{{succession|
before=[[Philip (Saliba) of New York|Philip (Saliba)]]|
title=[[Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America|Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of North America]]|
years=2014–2022|
after=—}}
{{end box}}

[[Category:Bishops]]
[[Category:20th-21st-century bishops]]
[[Category:Bishops of Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Bishops of Katana]]
[[Category:Bishops of New York]]