This morning the news of the election of new archbishop of Zahleh and Furzol of the Greek-Melkites, Lebanon was announced by the Vatican Press Office.
The Holy Father has assented to the canonical election by the Synod of Bishops of the Patriarchal Church of Antioch of the Greek Melkites of Bishop Ibrahim Michael Ibrahim, B.S., as archbishop of Zahleh and Furzol of the Greek Melkites, Lebanon, until now bishop of the eparchy of Saint-Sauveur de Montréal of the Greek Melkites, Canada.
Curriculum vitae
Archbishop-elect Ibrahim Michael Ibrahim, B.S., was born on 22 March 1962 in Jinsnaya, Lebanon. He entered the Saint Sauveur Monastery in Saïda, Sidon, Lebanon, of the Basilian Salvatorian Order (B.S.) of the Greek Melkite Catholics in 1977 and was ordained a priest on 18 July 1987. After obtaining a baccalaureate in theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, he was awarded a master’s degree in theology at the Pontifical Lateran University in 1988. In 1991 he was appointed pastor of Saint Elias in Cleveland, Ohio. Named proto-presbyter of the mid-west region of the eparchy of Newton in 1994, the following year his Order designated him first assistant in the American area and in 2000 he became Superior of the same province.
On 18 June 2003, the Holy Father appointed him bishop of Saint-Sauveur de Montréal of the Greek-Melkites, Canada.
He speaks Arabic, English, French and Italian.