We are saddened by the passing away of the holy archbishop, and dean of all Greek Melkite Catholic bishops, Paul Antaki in Cairo, Egypt. Our consolation is that he will now intercede before Christ in heaven for everyone and especially for the suffering ones on Earth and in Purgatory. Paul Antaki was a great example for me personally and for many other people of several generations especially in his deep commitment to the Church, living spirituality, commitment to the young adults, vocations to the priesthood, and extreme humility coupled with extraordinary capacity for self-sacrifice which he practiced unceasingly. I recall his letters to me since I arrived in Canada which he signed as Fr. Paul Antaki and his constant encouragement. I do not know much about the iron person Paul Antaki who managed to earn the respect and love of everyone I know he knew. But this is what little I know: After serving as a priest director of the Patriarchal College, he worked tirelessly in the parishes of Alexandria and Cairo. At the young age of 42, he was elevated to the ranks of bishops by the synod headed by Patriarch Maximus V in 1968 to be General Patriarchal Vicar on the See of Alexandria, Egypt and Sudan. Many pastoral visits to the parishes in all of Egypt and Sudan followed his installation. In 1971, I requested my first meeting with him in which it became apparent to me that this man was truly a man of ecumenical breadth and commitment to dialogue with the Orthodox Churches. He was enthusiastic about the youth and actively managed their activities in the Melkite parishes in Egypt and Sudan. I worked under his direction in the Catholic Apostolic movements and conferences held from 1972 which brought together some highly intellectual Catholics and the Catholic youth. In January 1978, he inaugurated the first youth meeting with the Patriarch and soon asked me to lead the new Supreme Council of Melkite Youth (university and older) in Egypt which I served for one year. Three times he called me to the priesthood and three times I declined, but he never gave up on the youth. In 1984 he accepted to be my guest for a few days when he visited Toronto, Canada. Archbishop Antaki visited Toronto again in 1990, celebrated Mass at our home, and at St. Luke Roman Catholic Church (used at the time by Melkite Catholics in Toronto.) As always, his presence meant a special occasion to my family and to the many other friends who knew him.
In 2002, Archbishop Paul Antaki resigned as Patriarchal Vicar in Cairo due to reaching the age of 75 but remained a spiritual director for many people and was followed by Archbishop Joseph Jules Zerey who is today the General Patriarchal Vicar on the See of Jerusalem. When the choir director Joseph Homsy passed away, I informed him of the sad news and he immediately contacted the Homsy families with condolences. Many other stories come to mind about how this man of God implanted a great spiritual plant in Egypt, but I will leave them to another post. To the Greek Melkite Catholic Church together with all its bishops, priests, orders and faithful all over the world, the passing away of Paul Antaki is a moment for celebration and not for sending condolences since I believe heaven is now celebrating the arrival of this humble servant. I am confident that Paul Antaki will be elevated to the ranks of the blessed as John Paul the Great. As he is a great Christian, I wish, therefore, to call him Paul Antaki the Great!
I am writing this in the kitchen at 6am consuming my Klinnex box. Everyone is asleep and all is quiet. I never wrote a blog and used facebook but today I feel the urge to share this with someone, for all who feel like me the loss of Sayedna Antaki. My cherished uncle fountain pen would not help me today: not fast enough across the oceans. I need to be connected with my beloved friends and family in this occasion.
ReplyDeleteYes we should not weep like pagans in face of death but Sayedna Antaki's death marks the end of an era - a glorious era. He was the bishop of my childhood and youth. I had the honor to be married by him. He was always there like a pillar, just like the four granite pillar in the patriarchate in Cairo - the patriarchate which he loved so much and never wanted to leave as he grow older and needed attention. For him it was always the Batrakhana and for us children it was always Sayedna Antaki this ... Sayedna Antaki that...
Now living at the end of the world literally, in New Zealand, my husband and I would often recall memories and his face would come up. As I continued my interest in Byzantine tradition, I would often shake my husband who is about to go to sleep and say in a childish excitment: "look, read this, I found this , wow, that is why Sayedna used to say ... or make us do ... or insisted on...."
I came from a little parish in a blessed land, Zeituoun, where the famous apparitions of the Virgin, in most my childhood, we had transition priests, visitor priests, nothing was permanent, but Sayedna was. He would come to support and visit us regularly, un-anounced of course and sit at the end of the church. Never ever I heard anything in the phone when he used to ring my uncle and I would answer except: (I am abouna Antaki (Father)). He was so humble and ascetic in spirit that many people were puzzled by him, always bending a bit while walking yet so glorious in his vestment during the liturgy. He never said an unprepared sermon and his voice would resonate higher than all the muslim prayers that used to compete with him on the microphones around the church.
On Holy friday, while he is processing with the bier, just the glimpse of his prayful face would shake your heart in repentance. His bright blue eyes pierced the common into the unseen. He had always a flesh of light in his eyes almost in a childish cheeky way. I still remember his radiant face and laughing eyes when my two years old son open the door and announced with greatest joy and the loudest voice "Abouna Kentucky is here!" a forgiveable typo of a child. Before you would kiss his hand, Saydena would flip yours so you end up kissing your own; always greeting you as if it is so good of you to be there. He would refuse banquets in his honor and never ate meat. By practising what he was preaching, he wanted to show us the face of ascetic struggle that we ought to embark on, one day or another, for the salvation of our souls.
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ReplyDeleteSayedna Antaki was the one who shaped generations of youth, some of them are clergy now and some are parents; some of them are going to attend his funeral tomorrow; and some are going to pray in their heart from scattered dwellings. He was not bothered when everyone was pushing to redecorate the patriarchate, or changing to cope with the times or go with the flow. He knew nothing about political correctness. He was there for us all like a solid pillar unaffected by the weather. His sayings to us, his sermons, his remarks were often odd, strange and un-digestable, but as we grew we understood what he meant: he was stretching us, challenging and molding us to become the leaders of today. I cant say much about myself as a leader as I am here taking care of my family and washing dishes but still I feel like a leader because he made me one.He was always part of the youth, like a hawk he would observe everything in silence; attend the last few minutes of the youth council as if passing "par hazare" or fetching something from the lounge. He did everything for us, not necessarily what we wanted, but what we needed. He attended our drama plays, our retreats, took us to visit monasteries in the desert, conducted bible studies and even prepared us to be informed about children sexual education: twenty five years ago when these things were unheard of. I remember when he sent three of us, looking for some kids christian books in Daher publishing houses. We were so happy to get the money out of him and we went mad on a shopping spree.
Sayedna Anataki cherished St Paul, his Patron Saint, and like St John Chrysostom before him; quoted the Pauline wisdom wherever he can. It was his role model and he knew so much to explain it so fluently in simple words. But most of all he had a great love for the Mother of God. So many times when we were rehearsing for choir or plays and we would be so noisy as if in a market place, interrupting everybody siesta at the patriarchate, we would see him circulating like a hawk saying his rosary. when we were at camps he would gather us in the water if it is noon and say the midday-prayers. We just repeated it after him kicking and splashing behind his back. He would calmly start chanting the Paraclysis or the Vespers on our way walking to the Disco venue. He would insist that we should come to the Paraclysis in August if we have the time to go to the Maronites for Mois de Marie: that what I call liturgical "chantage" (haggling)... he was always there always watching. In every message he delivered one theme was clear: keep the faith, don't give in to the world, keep the Tradition. He made us feel special the heirs of a heirloom, of a great treasure: our tradition of 2000 year old christianity; at a time when the attractions to latin or protestant churches were stronger. He like a master jeweler was polishing ceasingly his diamond in front of our eyes to keep us "dazzled" with our Byzantine roots. Sayedna Antaki always repeated the same thing in youth gathering without loosing hope or getting tired. He often received laughter or sarcasm in the face but he continued to say it always: 1) keep the eastern faith 2) keep your family name (in time where it was easier just to use the father's name and drop the rest) 3) marry within the community. By the time we were at university, we almost repeated them after him in perfect lip-sinking. I think his prayers and his constant education to us were responsible to grant me HIS three wishes.
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ReplyDeleteI had the pleasure to see him last christmas when we went back to egypt and to show him our kids. He got so old and so frail. It was almost a mystical experience for us. His strengh and his eyes were almost gone. We were in front of his naked spirit rather than his usual tall shadow. He was still capable of reading our souls with the same excitement and encouragement. He was so happy to see us repeating "thank you for remembering me" as if someone can actually forgot him. I took his photo from a priest without even asking permission and put it in a little frame on the window in front of the kitchen sink. How stupid is that? who would put a photo of a bishop on a sink... but that who he was, the shepherd who made us feel that Church is home and home is Church. His picture give me hope, linked me back to my roots and reminded me of my holy mission in my family even if it is washing dishes. In this picture there was inner strengh of unfinished words. Today in my mind, I can hear his tiny voice telling me "bravo bravo" if I had told him that I am writing a thesis on the spiritual psychology of the Church Fathers. Now he knows about it because he is with the saints and will stand over my shoulder while doing it.
A soldier who captured St Basil once said that he was as if in the presence of a king. Well, I guess we were all lucky to have been in the presence of a king, a very humble one: "Abouna Antaki".
Memory eternal Sayedna. I wish I was there to hear all your children singing you away to the gates of heaven but forgive me, I am not.
Dalia Tinawi
Thanks Dalia for your beautiful comments.
ReplyDeletePlease send me your email address. Mine is
george.farahat@gmail.com
George
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ReplyDeleteDalia .. Great words .. Made me cry and re-live those wonderful days .. Seems Sayedna Antaki not only gathered us in "El Batrakhana" and in "Ras El Bar" during his life, but he is also gathering us virtually from heaven .. If you do not mind will share your wonderful words further, they tell so many feelings we all have kept sound in our hearts .. Christine Arida
ReplyDeleteThanks Christine for sharing. I knew your family in Egypt. If you wish, please send me your email address to george.farahat@gmail.com
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