Joseph Tawil

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Archbishop Joseph Tawil
Archbishop Joseph Tawil religion = Melkite Greek Catholic
Senior posting
See Eparchate of Newton, Massachusetts
Title Archbishop of Newton
Period in office March 15, 1970—December 12, 1989
Consecration January 1, 1960
Predecessor Bishop Justin Najmy
Successor Archbishop Ignatius Ghattas
Religious career
Priestly ordination July 20, 1936
Previous bishoprics Patriarchal Vicar for the See of Damascus
Personal
Date of birth December 25, 1913
Place of birth Damascus, Syria
Date of death February 17, 1999
Place of death Newton, Massachusetts


Archbishop Joseph Tawil (December 25, 1913 - February 17, 1999) was the Melkite Greek Catholic eparch for the United States, teacher and theologian. He is remembered for expanding the Melkite church in the United States and articulating the unique role of the Eastern Catholic Churches in his 1970 pastoral letter The Courage To Be Ourselves.

Contents

[edit] Early life

Joseph Elias Tawil was born in Damascus, Syria, the son of Elias and Malakie (Salmane) Tawil. He studied for the priesthood under the White Fathers in St. Anne's Seminary in Jerusalem. He was ordained as priest on July 20, 1936 and assigned to the Patriarchal College (Al Madrah Al Batrakiyah) in Cairo, Egypt. For seven years he was a teacher and later dean of the institution. In 1943 he became president of the college, a position he retained for eleven years before his appointment as Patriarchal Vicar in Alexandria, Egypt on August 29, 1959.

[edit] Episcopate

[edit] Damascus and United States

He was consecrated bishop in Damascus on January 1, 1960. While in this position he attended the Second Vatican Council where, as a representative of the Melkite Church, he worked with Patriarch Maximos IV Sayegh to further understanding and cooperation between the Church of Rome and the Eastern Orthodox Church.

On October 30, 1969, Archbishop Tawil was appointed Apostolic Exarch for the United States by Pope Paul VI, and was installed on March 15, 1970. He succeeded Bishop Justin Najmy, the first Melkite bishop in the United States. Bishop Najmy had died only two years after his installation, and thus the major task of welding an efficient diocese out of the existing parishes scattered over the country fell to Archbishop Tawil.

Upon arriving in the United States Tawil was fluent in Arabic and French and proficient in Greek and Latin but did not speak English. He quickly learned English and published some of his most influential writings in the language of his new homeland.

[edit] The Courage To Be Ourselves

Main article: The Courage To Be Ourselves

One of Tawil's first actions was to write the pastoral letter "The Courage to be Ourselves" [1] to strengthen his flock, many of whom were relatively newcomers in this country and surrounded by the far more numerous Latin Catholics. The document, delivered as a Christmas 1970 pastoral letter, reminds Eastern Catholics of their rich traditions and how the Catholic Church benefits from diversity. In it he stated:

“ The existence of Eastern Churches as part of the Catholic family, although they have distinct customs and traditions in all areas of Church life, dramatically shows that to be Catholic one does not have to conform to the Roman model. Indeed, the Roman Church, as the [Second Vatican] Council affirmed, has learned many lessons of late from the East in the fields of liturgy (use of the vernacular, Communion in both kinds, baptism by immersion), of Church order (collegiality, synodal government, the role of the deacon), and spirituality. In a very real sense, the Western Church needs a vibrant Eastern Church to complement its understanding of the Christian message. By our fidelity to maintaining our patrimony, by our refusal to be assimilated, the Eastern Churches render a most precious service to Rome in still another area of Church life. Latinizing this small number of Easterners would not be a gain for Rome; rather it would block - perhaps forever - a union of the separated Churches of the East and West. It would be easy then for Orthodoxy to see that union with Rome leads surely to ecclesiastical assimilation. ”

[edit] Development of the Eparchy of Newton

Tawil founded the diocesan publication "Sophia" and in 1971 established a diaconate training program, the first in an Eastern Catholic diocese in the United States. He also established a Diocesan Pastoral Council. Later he inaugurated a Diocesan Communications Office, the National Association of Melkite Youth, and a full-time Office of Educational Services.

On June 28, 1976 Tawil was raised to archbishop. He was installed as eparch of Newton on February 14, 1977.[1] During his tenure as eparch, Tawil founded eight new parishes and five missions. He ordained 26 new priests and 23 deacons. He also played a significant role in the founding a convent for women religious in Danbury, Connecticut.

After reaching retirement age, Archbishop Tawil retired on December 12, 1989, but remained active in church affairs. He was succeeded by Bishop Ignatius Ghattas as Eparch of Newton. Tawil died at Newton-Wellesley Hospital in Massachusetts on February 17, 1999.[2]

[edit] Books and Other Publications

Tawil published several books in both Arabic and English. They include:

  • The Patriarchate of Antioch Throughout History: An Introduction. Sophia Press. 
  • The Sacraments of Christian Initiation. Theobooks. 
  • Saint Basil the Great. Sophia Press. 

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Cheney, David. Archbishop Joseph Elias Tawil. Catholic Hierarchy.com. Retrieved on 2008-02-23.
  2. ^ Archbishop Joseph Tawil of West Newton, at 85. The Boston Herald (February 22, 1999). Retrieved on 2008-02-23.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links