Joseph Tawil
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Archbishop Joseph Tawil (December 25, 1913 - February 17, 1999) was the Melkite Greek Catholic eparch for the United States, teacher and theologian. He is remembered for expanding the Melkite church in the United States and articulating the unique role of the Eastern Catholic Churches in his 1970 pastoral letter The Courage To Be Ourselves.
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[edit] Early Life
Joseph Elias Tawil was born in Damascus, Syria, the son of Elias and Malakie (Salmane) Tawil. He studied for the priesthood under the White Fathers in St. Anne's Seminary in Jerusalem. He was ordained as priest on July 20, 1936 and assigned to the Patriarchal College (Al Madrah Al Batrakiyah) in Cairo, Egypt. For seven years he was a teacher and later dean of the institution. In 1943 he became president of the college, a position he retained for eleven years before his appointment as Patriarchal Vicar in Alexandria.
[edit] Episcopate
[edit] Damascus and United States
He was consecrated bishop and named Patriarchal Vicar in Damascus in 1960. While in this position he attended the Second Vatican Council where, as a representative of the Melkite Church, he worked with Patriarch Maximos IV Sayegh to further understanding and cooperation between the Church of Rome and the Eastern Orthodox Church.
On October 30, 1969, Archbishop Tawil was appointed Apostolic Exarch for the United States by Pope Paul VI, and was installed on March 15, 1970. He succeeded Bishop Justin Najmy, the first Melkite bishop in the United States. Bishop Najmy had died only two years after his installation, and thus the major task of welding an efficient diocese out of the existing parishes scattered over the country fell to Archbishop Tawil.
Upon arriving in the United States Tawil was fluent in Arabic and French and proficient in Greek and Latin but did not speak English. He quickly learned English and published some of his most influential writings in the language of his new homeland.
[edit] The Courage To Be Ourselves
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- see main article The Courage To Be Ourselves
One of Tawil's first actions was to write the pastoral letter "The Courage to be Ourselves" [1] to strengthen his flock, many of whom were relatively newcomers in this country and surrounded by the far more numerous Latin Catholics. The document, delivered as a Christmas 1970 pastoral letter, reminds Eastern Catholics of their rich traditions and how the Catholic Church benefits from diversity. In it he stated:
The existence of Eastern Churches as part of the Catholic family, although they have distinct customs and traditions in all areas of Church life, dramatically shows that to be Catholic one does not have to conform to the Roman model. Indeed, the Roman Church, as the [Second Vatican] Council affirmed, has learned many lessons of late from the East in the fields of liturgy (use of the vernacular, Communion in both kinds, baptism by immersion), of Church order (collegiality, synodal government, the role of the deacon), and spirituality. In a very real sense, the Western Church needs a vibrant Eastern Church to complement its understanding of the Christian message. By our fidelity to maintaining our patrimony, by our refusal to be assimilated, the Eastern Churches render a most precious service to Rome in still another area of Church life. Latinizing this small number of Easterners would not be a gain for Rome; rather it would block - perhaps forever - a union of the separated Churches of the East and West. It would be easy then for Orthodoxy to see that union with Rome leads surely to ecclesiastical assimilation.
[edit] Development of the Eparchy of Newton
Tawil founded the diocesan publication "Sophia" and in 1971 established a diaconate training program, the first in an Eastern Catholic diocese in the United States. He also established a Diocesan Pastoral Council. Later he inaugurated a Diocesan Communications Office, the National Association of Melkite Youth, and a full-time Office of Educational Services.
During his tenure as Eparch, Archbishop Tawil founded eight new parishes and five missions. He ordained 26 new priests and 23 deacons. He also played a significant role in the founding a convent for women religious in Danbury, Connecticut.
After reaching retirement age, Archbishop Tawil became emeritus on Dec. 12, 1989, remaining active in church affairs. He was succeeded by Bishop Ignatius Ghattas as Eparch of Newton.
[edit] Books and Other Publications
Tawil published several books in both Arabic and English. They include:
- The Patriarchate of Antioch Throughout History: An Introduction. Sophia Press.
- The Sacraments of Christian Initiation. Theobooks.
- Saint Basil the Great. Sophia Press.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Melkite Greek Catholic Church Biography of Joseph Tawil
- The Courage To Be Ourselves
- Introduction to the Liturgy of the Divine Office, by Archbishop Joseph Tawil
- Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch, Alexandria and Jerusalem
- L'Église Melkite/The Melkite Church.
- Melkite Catholic Web Ring.
- Official Website of the Melkite Church in the US.
- Extensive history of the Melkite Church
