Born in the great city of Antioch, he holds a Bachelor of Theology from the Halki Seminary in Istanbul, Turkey, in 1956. He was ordained a priest in 1957. He became the overseer of the Balamand Clerical School 1956-1961. He was appointed at the Patriarchate in Damascus and taught at Al-Asieh Schools 1961-1962, and was appointed later as the Patriarchal Vicar in Kuwait. Then he served as the Vicar of the Metropolitan of Brazil 1968-1975, and a Vicar of the Metropolitan of Mexico in Caracas- Venezuela 1975-1988. He was ordained a Bishop on 1988, and appointed as a Patriarchal Vicar in Santiago- Chili, and elected a Metropolitan in 1996.
