Gregory III Laham


Gregory III Laham

Melkite Greek Patriarch Emeritus of Antioch
Native name
غريغوريوس الثالث لحام
ChurchMelkite Greek Catholic Church
SeeAntioch
ElectedNovember 29, 2000
InstalledDecember 5, 2000
Term endedMay 6, 2017
PredecessorMaximos V Hakim
SuccessorYoussef I Absi
Other post(s)Bishop of Damascus
Previous post(s)
  • Auxiliary Melkite Greek Archbishop of Jerusalem (1981–2000)
  • Titular Archbishop of Tarsus dei Greco-Melkiti (1981–2000)
Orders
OrdinationFebruary 15, 1959
ConsecrationNovember 27, 1981
by Maximos V Hakim
Personal details
Born
Lutfy Laham

(1933-12-15) December 15, 1933 (age 90)
DenominationMelkite Greek Catholic Church
ResidenceSyria
Lebanon
Alma materHoly Savior Seminary
MottoDirectione in agape
Coat of armsCoat of arms of His Beatitude Gregory III Laham

Gregory III Laham, B.S. (Arabic: غريغوريوس الثالث لحام; Latin: Gregorius III Lahamus; born Lutfy Laham, December 15, 1933, in Darayya, Syria), Emeritus Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, of Alexandria and Jerusalem, is the former spiritual leader of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church. He was elected on November 29, 2000, succeeding Patriarch Maximos V Hakim. He retired on May 6, 2017.[1]

He took the name Gregory in honor of Patriarch Gregory II Youssef, who was the last member of his religious order, the Basilian Salvatorian Order, to be elected Patriarch. Gregory III, who studied in Rome, Italy, and is multilingual, is also the author of several books on Eastern Catholic spirituality and theology.

In addition, he served as the Spiritual Protector of the United Obediences (formerly the Paris and Malta Obediences until 2008) of the Order of Saint Lazarus.