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Metropolitan Gabriel - Memory Eternal!
It is with great sadness that we announce that our beloved bishop, His Eminence Metropolitan Gabriel (Saliby) died in the Lord on the evening of Saturday 20th October in the year of our Lord 2007. May his memory be eternal.
The Funeral of His Eminence Archbishop Gabriel took place at St.
Stephen’s Cathedral in Paris on Friday 26th October followed by a
committal and burial in Montparnassie Cemetery.
Shown below are some of our German clergy.
Condolences Beloved
in Christ, the Clergy and Faithful of the God-protected Antiochian
Archdiocese of Western and Central Europe:
Greetings in the Name of our Lord. We are
very sad at the news of the falling asleep in the Lord of our beloved
brother, His Eminence, Metropolitan GABRIEL of thrice-blessed memory. May
God rest his soul and may he be in the Kingdom of God. On
behalf of the clergy and faithful of the Antiochian Diocese of Los Angeles
and the West, I extend my love and sincere condolences to the entire
God-protected Antiochian Archdiocese of Western and Central Europe. May his
memory be eternal. Yours
in His Service,
+ JOSEPH Bishop
of Los Angeles and the West
Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America
The Bishop's Life Metropolitan Gabriel was born in Lebanon in 1925 and received his theological education in Russia. Following his consecration to the episcopate, he served as an assistant bishop to Metropolitan Elias of Beirut. In 1982 he moved to Paris to establish a new Vicariate of Western Europe, which, through his leadership later grew to comprise 23 parishes in France (2), Britain (10), Germany (9), Switzerland (1) and Austria (1). To these there was added a monastic community of eighteen nuns in the south of France. In establishing the Vicariate Bishop Gabriel fully employed his considerable linguistic gifts, being a fluent speaker of Arabic, English, French, Spanish, German and Russian. Bishop Gabriel, (as he was then), was awarded the "Legion of Honour" by the French State in recognition of his contribution to French society in 1998. In the Autumn of 2000 and in recognition of his work, the Holy Synod of Antioch authorised the elevation of the Vicariate to the status of a Metropolitical see, of which Bishop Gabriel became the first Metropolitan. |
