Anthony Peter Khoraish

Cardinal Anthony Peter Khoraish (September 20, 1907 - August 19, 1994), also Antoine Pierre Khreich, 'Khraish or Khoraiche, was the Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and the Whole Levant from 1974 until his resignation in 1986, and a cardinal (Catholicism) of the Catholic Church. He died on August 19, 1994 in Beirut and was buried at the see of the Maronite Catholic Patriarchate in Bkerké, Lebanon.

Biography
Anthony Khoraish was born on September 20, 1907 in Ain Ebel, a small village in the south of Lebanon. He was a distinguished student at the local primary school in the village, and his devoutness to his faith lead him at the age of 13 to Rome where he began his philosophical and theological studies at the Pontifical Urbanian University. He received his doctorate in philosophy at the age of 16 and returned to Beirut, Lebanon where he continued his post-doctoral theological studies at the Université Saint-Joseph.

Priesthood
He was ordained as priest at the Cathedral of Tyre in South Lebanon on April 11, 1930 where he also taught at the local Catholic school. From 1930-1940, he was also a faculty member of Sagesse School in Beirut, patriarchal vicar of Palestine and president of the Maronite tribunal in the Holy Land. He was appointed vicar general of the archdiocese of Tyre of the Maronites, and served there from 1940-1950.

Episcopate
On April 25, 1950 Pope Pius XII appointed him auxiliary bishop of Sidon of the Maronites, and Titular Bishop of Tarsous of the Maronites, and on October 15, 1950 he was consecrated as such. On November 25, 1957, he was appointed Bishop of Sidon of the Maronites. As bishop, he attended the Second Vatican Council. He became administrator delegate of the Patriarchate of Antioch of the Maronites in 1974. He was also episcopal delegate for the Maronite seminaries and president of the executive commission of the Inter-ritual Assembly of Patriarchs and Bishops of Lebanon.

Patriarchate
He was elected Patriarch of Antioch and All the East on February 3, 1975, following the death of the previous patriarch. As Patriarch, he attended the IV Ordinary Assembly of the World Synod of Bishops in Vatican City on September 30, 1977. During his Patriarchate, the blessed Charbel Makhlouf was declared Saint of the Universal Church in an imposing ceremony at Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome on October 9, 1977.

Cardinalate
On February 2, 1983, he was the second Lebanese to be ordained Cardinal. As Cardinal, he attended the VI Ordinary Assembly of the World Synod of Bishops in Vatican City on September 29, 1983. Sister Rafqa Pietra Choboq Ar-Rayès (also known as Saint Rafka), a Lebanese nun of Hamlaya, was declared Blessed at Saint Peter’s Basilica on November 17, 1985.

On April 3, 1986, he resigned as Maronite Patriarch of Antioch.