Joseph Raya facts for kids

Joseph Raya (born August 15, 1916 – died June 10, 2005) was an important religious leader. He was born in Lebanon and became a Melkite Catholic archbishop. He was also a theologian, which means he studied religion deeply. Joseph Raya was well-known for supporting civil rights and fairness for all people.

He served as the archbishop for the areas of Akko, Haifa, Nazareth, and all Galilee from 1968 to 1974. He worked hard to bring Christians, Jews, and Muslims closer together. He also strongly believed that church services should be held in the everyday languages of the people, not just in ancient languages.

Joseph Raya's Life Story

Early Years and Education

Joseph-Marie Raya was born in Zahle, Lebanon. He was the seventh of eight children. After finishing his first studies, he went to Paris to learn more. In 1937, he joined St. Anne's seminary in Jerusalem. He became a priest in the Melkite Catholic Church on July 20, 1941.

Later, he taught at the Patriarchal College in Cairo, Egypt. In 1948, he was asked to leave Egypt by King Farouk. This happened because he spoke up for the rights of women. In 1949, he moved to the United States.

Working for Civil Rights in Birmingham

After moving to the US, Joseph Raya worked as a priest in New Jersey. In 1952, he became the pastor of St. George Melkite Greek Catholic Church in Birmingham, Alabama. He quickly became a strong supporter of civil rights. This led to a close friendship with Rev. Martin Luther King Jr..

Raya marched alongside King many times. He faced danger from groups like the Ku Klux Klan because of his work. Even when the Roman Catholic Archbishop Thomas Toolen warned him, Raya helped King organize protests. These events took place across Alabama during the 1960s. Raya also started Saint Moses the Black Mission. This was the first Eastern Catholic church for African Americans in downtown Birmingham.

He was also good friends with Catherine Doherty, who worked for social justice. He became the first Associate Priest of her Madonna House Apostolate in Combermere, Ontario, Canada.

Supporting Services in Local Languages

As a priest in Alabama, Raya believed that church services should be in languages people understood. He translated important church texts like the Gospels and the Divine Liturgy into English. This was a big deal at the time.

In 1958, he invited Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, a famous Catholic TV personality, to lead a service in English. This inspired many Catholics to ask for services in their own languages. However, some people who preferred old traditions were not happy.

In December 1959, the Roman Catholic archbishop of Mobile, Alabama, Thomas Toolen, stopped Raya from holding services in English. But Pope John XXIII stepped in. In March 1960, he agreed that Byzantine churches could use local languages. In 1963, Raya's English translations became the official ones for Catholic Byzantine services.

Because of his success, Raya was given a special title: Grand Archimandrite of Jerusalem. He also joined the Melkite group at the Second Vatican Council. This important meeting decided to allow local languages in Catholic churches worldwide. After this, Raya kept translating Melkite works into English. In 1968, he co-wrote Byzantine Daily Worship. This book included many important church services in English.

Becoming an Archbishop

On October 20, 1968, Joseph Raya became the archbishop of Akko, Haifa, Nazareth, and all Galilee. He led a peaceful protest of thousands of Arabs and Jews in Israel. They sought justice for the villages of Kafr Bir'im and Iqrit. These villages had been emptied and destroyed in 1948. Iqrit was the hometown of a later archbishop, Elias Chacour. Raya believed in non-violent ways to get justice. He also encouraged Palestinians to be good citizens of Israel.

A priest named Father John Catoir wrote about Raya in 1969. He said Raya told Christian Arabs to stop hating Jews. Raya also spoke to Jewish leaders in the Israeli parliament. He told them they had done some of the same things to Arabs that Jews had suffered in their own history. Father Catoir called Raya a "living prophet" for challenging old hatreds.

In August 1972, Raya ordered all churches in his area to close one Sunday. This was to show sadness for "the death of justice in Israel." He felt this because the two villages were still not returned to their people. Raya explained that no goal justifies unfairness. He said that security built on injustice cannot last, no matter how strong an army is.

As archbishop, Raya was a figure who caused discussion. Many admired his strong leadership and efforts to unite different faiths. However, some Arabs and church leaders did not like his friendly approach to Israel. Raya disagreed with the idea of making Jerusalem an international city. He also upset the Vatican with his strong efforts to help the people from Bir'im and Ikrit return home. He also sold church land to poor Muslim farmers.

Raya's letter of resignation said that church leaders made him leave his job. The Israeli government saw him as a powerful figure. But when he resigned, Prime Minister Golda Meir asked him to stay.

Many people were surprised by Raya's resignation. A local Christian Youth Club gathered thousands of signatures asking him to change his mind. Important Muslim, Jewish, and Christian leaders also expressed their disappointment. Yoram Kaniuk described Raya as hard to understand. He said most people viewed him with suspicion because he didn't fit common ideas. Kaniuk felt that Raya was a deeply religious man who cared for everyone.

When he left his position, Raya wrote a final letter. He emphasized his belief in unity:

I came to the Holy Land to give. And behold! I was overwhelmed by what I received! I came to enrich and purify! And behold! I was the one to be enriched and purified. I loved the family of the Lord. His family are both the Jews and the Arabs. I held the Muslims, the Druze, the Jew, the Christian, everyone believer and unbeliever, in the same embrace.

After resigning on July 13, 1974, Raya moved to Madonna House in Combermere, Canada. Sometime after this, he had a major heart attack and underwent major heart surgery. From his home in Combermere, he gave talks and wrote about Byzantine spirituality. He taught at places like Fordham University in New York and a seminary in Lebanon.

In 1985, he returned to Lebanon to help the Diocese of Beirut. In 1987, he temporarily led the Archdiocese of Banias in Marjayoun, Lebanon. This area had been badly damaged by the Lebanese civil war. After this, he moved back to Canada and retired at Madonna House in 1990. Joseph Raya passed away on June 10, 2005, in Barry's Bay, Ontario, Canada.

Books by Joseph Raya

Raya wrote several books. These included hymnals, books about theology, and church history. Most of his books were written in English.

See also

• Melkite Greek Catholic Church
• Archbishop of Nazareth
• Gregory III Laham
• Elias Chacour
• Madonna House Apostolate