Ignace Raad
Ignace Raad,[1][2] BS (20 December 1923 in Kafar-Nabrakh, Lebanon — 19 July 1999, Montreal, Canada[3]) was Archbishop of the Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Sidon in Lebanon and judge at the Tribunal of the Roman Rota.
Life
At the age of 11 Raad entered at the monastery of the Melkite Basilian of the Most Holy Redeemer in Joun.[4] In 1945 he laid his Eternal vow and prepared himself to become a monk. His predecessor, Bishop Basile Khoury, BS, of Sidon, consecrated him 1947 deacon and the Patriarch of Antioch Maximos IV Sayegh ordained him on November 9, 1947 to the priesthood and he became Chaplain of the Melkite Basilian. Raad then taught for two years at the seminary of the Basilian and received his PhD in 1949 in Rome for Doctor of Political Science and Doctor of the Church - and civil law.
From 1953 to 1972 he was pastor of the parish "Immaculate Conception of Heliopolis"[5] in Cairo. During this time he became Archimandrite and was consecrated in other functions in the Archdiocese of Alexandria at the Melkite University as Professor of Religion, Chief Justice of the Patriarchal Appeals and Deputy Patriarchal Vicar of Alexandria.
Raad moved in 1972 to Rome in the Vatican and until 1981 was a judge at the Tribunal of the Roman Rota. The Melkite Synod elected him on 9 September 1981 for the Archeparchy of Sidon. On October 30, 1981 Ignace Raad was consecrated bishop by Melkite Patriarch Maximos V Hakim and were his co-consecrators Archbishop Nicolas Hajj, SDS, and Archbishop François Abou Mokh, BS. On September 18, 1985, he quit his position back at the Synod of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church and took over the Presidency of the Church Court of the Melkite Church in Canada, based in Montreal because resigned to his office as Archeparch of Sidon. His successor in 1987 was Archbishop Georges Kwaïter, elected to the office. Until his death on 19 July 1999, Raad was emeritus Archbishop of Sidon and was buried on 23 July 1999 in Montreal.