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“Every patriarch persistently restates and renews the role that the Maronite Church must fulfill as the backbone of the Lebanese nation.” These words by Patriarch Bechara Rai, as recounted by Isabelle Dillman in her book Au Coeur du chaos (In the Heart of Chaos), capture perfectly the enduring duty and fervor that defined the life of Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir (1920-2019). Every year on May 12, Lebanon commemorates his passing, as that of a remarkable figure whose name echoes in the national consciousness.
Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir, who exemplified humility and obedience by submitting his resignation to Rome in 2011 to pave the way for younger successors, passed away at the revered age of 99. If his life were to be narrated, it would be defined by the true passion he experienced during the twenty-five years of his patriarchate (1986-2011), which began amidst a civil war and ended after the Doha Agreement (2008).
Two key moments, one religious and the other political, stand out in the exceptional journey of a man deemed by some as one of the greatest – if not the greatest – patriarchs the Maronite Church has ever known.
The religious facet pertains to the convening of the Synod for Lebanon by Pope John Paul II in 1995, which more than any other event highlighted Lebanon’s calling as a “message of freedom and an example of pluralism for the East and the West.” (1989)
As for the political aspect, it was the historic “call” Patriarch Sfeir made, alongside the Maronite Episcopal Synod, demanding the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon. This call was in strict accordance with the Taif Agreement, which he meticulously crafted, ensuring every aspect was minutely accounted for with the former Speaker of the House, Hussein Husseini (see the aforementioned publication).
Before his resignation, which occurred in May 2005, after the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri on February 14, 2005, the patriarch had to witness the self-destruction of the Maronite community due to the fratricidal struggle between the army teams loyal to General Michel Aoun on one side and the Lebanese Forces of Samir Geagea on the other. It is worth recalling that both parties involved in these truly “sacrilegious” clashes suffered losses, with one seeking exile in France and the other serving eleven years in prison in a cell beneath the Ministry of Defense.
“His unwavering, unyielding stance against the repeated attempts by the Assad regime to coax him into compromise and persuade him to head to the Barada River for a symbolic visit, will be etched in history,” wrote Michel Touma in an editorial following his death. Despite efforts by prominent Maronite figures to sway him and urge him to use some “pragmatism” in regards to dealing with Damascus, Sfeir stood firm, believing that sovereignty couldn’t be bartered away, especially since the clear outcome would be nothing short of a fool’s deal.
Despite his official position and the inherent protocol of such a position, Patriarch Sfeir was also a man of action. When confronted with tricky questions from journalists or politicians, the patriarch was renowned for his concise responses that eloquently captured the essence of his thoughts without giving away too much. With a composed demeanor and a smile, he would calmly assert, “We’ve said what we’ve said,” leaving little room for further inquiry. This exemplified to the dot philosopher Hannah Arendt’s notion that “the right word at the right moment is action.”
