New Patriarch of Antioch elected

The Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of Antioch has elected a new Patriarch of Great Antioch and All the East. The elections took place in the Balamand Monastery of the Most Holy Mother of God in Lebanon. Taking part in the voting were 18 hierarchs. Metropolitan Youhanna (Yaziji) of Western and Central Europe has been elected the 139th Primate of the Orthodox Church of Antioch.

His Beatitude Youhanna X, Patriarch of the Great City of God Antioch, Cilicia, Iberia, Mesopotamia and All the East, was born in 1966 in Latakia, Syria. In 1978 he graduated from the St. John of Damascus Orthodox Theological Institute at the Balamand Monastery. In 1983 he earned the degree of Doctor of Theology at the University of Thessaloniki, Greece.

He was ordained as deacon in 1979 and priest in 1983.

From 1981 he taught Liturgics at the Balamand Institute of Theology. From 1988-1991 and from 2001-2005, he was dean of the university.

In 1995, he was consecrated as bishop. From 2001-2005, he served as father superior of the Balamand Monastery. In 2008, he was elected Metropolitan of Western and Central Europe and permanent member of the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Antioch.

Source: mospat.ru