Maronite Church leader visits St. Louis

Nasrallah Pierre Cardinal Sfeir

Function: Patriarch of Antiochia, Lebanon

Title: Cardinal Bishop, No titular church

Birthdate: May 15, 1920	Country: Lebanon

Elevated: Nov 26, 1994	More information: www.catholic-hierarchy.org

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Maronite Church leader visits St. Louis
Jul 03, 2006
Cardinal Nasrallah Peter Sfeir, patriarch of the Maronite Catholic Church, arrived in St. Louis on Thursday to begin a pastoral visit to the United States. His visit also will include stops in Chicago and New York.

(ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 07/01/2006) The Maronite Church, an ancient, eastern-rite branch of the universal Catholic Church, is based in Lebanon and is in full communion with the Vatican. Sfeir, 86, was made a cardinal by Pope John Paul II in 1994.

The patriarch is not just a religious figure in the Middle East; he's also a political player. He is frequently sought out by world leaders for guidance, said David Schenker, a senior fellow in Arab politics at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

Sfeir "has tremendous political and moral standing in Lebanon," said Schenker.

Last year, Sfeir met with President George W. Bush in the White House, and in February, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice paid the patriarch a visit outside Beirut rather than meet with Lebanon's Syrian-backed president, Emile Lahoud.

St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay greeted Sfeir at Lambert Field and gave him the key to the city.

In a ceremony Friday, the patriarch was awarded the Sword of Ignatius Loyola, St. Louis University's highest honor. Speaking at the ceremony, the Rev. Lawrence Biondi, president of SLU, said the university was recognizing "this man of peace, this man of faith." Sfeir also received an honorary doctorate of law from the university.

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