He was born in February 1940 in Himlaya (Lebanon). After taking his vows in the Mariamite Maronite Order, he obtained his doctorate in Canon Law and his Licence in Sacred Theology at the Pontifical Lateran University. He was responsible for Vatican Radio’s Arabic programmes for several years. In 1975, he returned to Lebanon to run the Collège Notre Dame in Louayzé. In 1986, he was appointed titular bishop of Caesarea Philippi and auxiliary bishop to the Patriarchate. He was transferred to the new eparchy of Jbeil (Byblos) in 1990. He was elected Patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites on 15 March 2011. He was made a cardinal at the consistory held on 24 November 2012.
