His Eminence Bishop Elias Audi,
Metropolitan of Beirut for Greek Orthodox

Date and Place of Birth: Born In Anfeh, Koura, in 1941.
Education: B.A. degree in Philosophy and another in Theology.
Career: After obtaining his BA degree in philosophy, Audi traveled to New York to study theology at the Saint Vladimir Theological Seminary.
In 1968, he returned to Lebanon, and, on August 18 of the same year, he was ordained Deacon by Bishop Elias Qorban at the Lady of Natour Monastery. He then returned to New York to pursue his studies in theology.
In 1969, he graduated from Saint Vladimir Theological Seminary with a B.A,. degree in Theology. In July the same year he was promoted to the rank of priesthood by Metropolitan Phillip  Salibi, Primate of the Antiochian Christian Orthodox Church of North America, and appointed thereafter Pastor for Saint Mary's  Church in Yonkers, New York.
In 1971, the Holy Antiochian Council asked him to return to Lebanon to assume the post of Assistant Dean at the St. John of Damascus Faculty of Theology of the University of Balamand. 
In 1975 he traveled to Greece to prepare for his doctorate degree.
In 1979, he was called to Damascus to assist His Beatitude Antonios the 4th Hazim, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and the Orient.
On November 18,1979, he was elected Bishop and appointed Patriarchal Vicar.
On February 5, 1980, the Holy Antiochian Council elected him Metropolitan for the Orthodox Archdiocese of Beirut.
On April 9, 1980, he arrived to the Orthodox Archdiocese of Beirut in Achrafieh to assume his post.
On April 13, 1980, he chaired his first mass at Saint Nicholas Church in Achrafieh.
He later represented the Antiochian Church in several meetings of the Middle East Churches Council, and the World Churches Council. He was also member of the Central Committee of the World Churches Council between from 1991 to 1998, in addition to chairing the Joint Dialogue Committee between the Vatican and the World Churches Council.

Contact Information: Orthodox Archdiocese of Beirut, Achrafieh, Tel: 01-200612, 01-200613, 01-217612. Fax: 01200311.

Related Links:
Orthodox Archdiocese of Beirut
St. John of Damascus Faculty of Theology University of Balamand.