The Maronite Patriarch

The head of the Maronite Church, his seat at Bkerke, and his role in Lebanon

At the head of the Maronite Church stands a single figure whose office is one of the oldest continuous institutions in the Christian East. He is the Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and for Maronites the world over he is a father, a shepherd, and a living link to a tradition that reaches back more than thirteen centuries.

To understand who he is, it helps to look at his title, his home, the way he is chosen, and the long line of patriarchs that runs from the earliest days of the Church to today. Each of these tells part of the story of the man Maronites simply call "our patriarch."

Who Is the Maronite Patriarch

The Maronite patriarch is the head of the Maronite Church, an Eastern Catholic Church that is fully united with the Pope of Rome while keeping its own ancient liturgy, law, and traditions. He is the chief bishop and spiritual father of all Maronites, whether they live in Lebanon, the wider Middle East, or the large diaspora across the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Australia.

As an Eastern Catholic patriarch, he holds real authority over his Church. He ordains and assigns bishops within his patriarchate, convokes the synod, and speaks for the Maronite faithful before both the Church and the world. He is in full communion with Rome, yet he is not a subordinate administrator; he governs an ancient Church in his own right.

As of 2026, the Maronite patriarch is Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, sometimes spelled al-Rai. He is the 77th patriarch in the line, elected on 15 March 2011, and he was created a cardinal the following year. His predecessor was Cardinal Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir, who served as patriarch from 1986 to 2011 and was a defining voice for Lebanon during difficult decades.

The Title: Patriarch of Antioch and All the East

The patriarch's full title is Patriarch of Antioch and All the East. Every word of it carries meaning. Antioch was one of the great apostolic cities of early Christianity, the place where, as the Book of Acts records, the disciples were first called Christians. To bear the title of Antioch is to claim a share in that ancient apostolic heritage.

The phrase "and All the East" widens the horizon. It expresses the patriarch's pastoral responsibility not for a single diocese but for a whole people spread across the East and, in the modern age, across the globe. Wherever Maronites gather, they look to the same patriarch as their father in faith.

This title also situates the Maronite Church within the broader family of Eastern Christianity. Several Churches trace themselves to the see of Antioch, and the Maronites are one of them. For more on how the Maronite path differs from the Latin West, see our guide on the Maronite and Roman Catholic traditions.

The Seat at Bkerke

The home of the patriarch, and the heart of the Maronite Church, is Bkerke. It sits on a hillside north of Beirut, above the town of Jounieh, with a wide view over the bay. From this quiet ridge the patriarch governs the Church, receives pilgrims and statesmen, and issues the messages that shape Maronite life.

Bkerke is more than an office. For Lebanon's Christians it is a spiritual landmark, a place people visit to pray, to seek guidance, and to feel connected to the center of their Church. Its name is used almost as a shorthand for the patriarchate itself; when Lebanese speak of what "Bkerke" has said, they mean the patriarch and his synod.

Because the hills near the coast grow hot in summer, the patriarchate keeps a second seat at Dimane, high in the northern mountains near the Qadisha Valley. The patriarch moves there during the warmer months, close to the historic monastic heartland of the Maronites. Bkerke and Dimane together mark the rhythm of the patriarch's year.

How the Patriarch Is Chosen

The Maronite patriarch is not appointed from outside. He is elected from within the Church by the Synod of Maronite Bishops, the gathered assembly of the Church's own bishops. When the seat falls vacant, the bishops come together, usually at Bkerke, and pray and vote until one among them receives the necessary majority.

Once a bishop is elected and accepts the office, he asks for ecclesial communion with the Pope of Rome, which is granted to the head of an Eastern Catholic Church. This gesture expresses the union of the Maronite Church with the wider Catholic communion while preserving the Church's own right to choose its father. The patriarch then serves for life.

This way of choosing a leader reflects the Maronite Church's character as an ancient, self-governing Eastern Church. It is one of the practical signs of the identity explored in our overview of the Maronite tradition, a Church that is Catholic in communion and Eastern in heritage.

From Saint John Maron to Today

The line of patriarchs has a beginning, and Maronite tradition places it with Saint John Maron, regarded as the first Maronite patriarch in the late seventh century. From him the unbroken succession is counted, patriarch after patriarch, down to the incumbent who is numbered the 77th.

The Church itself is older still. It takes its name and spiritual descent from Saint Maron, a Syriac hermit who died around the year 410 and whose disciples gathered into the community that would become the Maronite people. The patriarch stands as the visible heir of that long spiritual lineage.

Along the way, certain patriarchs left a deep mark. In the seventeenth century, Patriarch Estephan Douaihy served as a great reformer and historian, ordering the Church's liturgy and writing down its history at a formative moment. His memory is honored as one of the towering figures of the Maronite past, an example of how a patriarch can shape a whole people.

The Patriarch's Role in Lebanon

In Lebanon the patriarch is far more than a religious administrator. He is one of the country's foremost spiritual and national figures, a moral voice whose words are weighed by believers and politicians alike. For generations the patriarch has spoken for the dignity, unity, and survival of Lebanon's Christian communities.

Much of the Maronite people's history has unfolded in the mountains and coast of Lebanon, and the patriarch has long been a guardian of that presence. In times of war, displacement, and political crisis, the patriarchate at Bkerke has served as a point of reference, calling for peace, coexistence, and the rootedness of Christians in their homeland.

For Maronites abroad, the patriarch remains a symbol of belonging. He connects a scattered people to a common father and a common home. Whatever the challenges of the age, the office endures as it has for centuries: a shepherd at Bkerke, in communion with Rome, watching over Antioch and all the East.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the Maronite patriarch?

The Maronite patriarch is the head of the Maronite Church, one of the Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with Rome. His full title is Patriarch of Antioch and All the East. As of 2026 the incumbent is Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros al-Rahi (also spelled al-Rai), the 77th patriarch, who has led the Church since 15 March 2011. He is a major spiritual and national figure for Lebanon's Christians.

Where does the Maronite patriarch live?

The Maronite patriarch's seat, the patriarchate, is at Bkerke, a hillside town north of Beirut overlooking the bay of Jounieh. Bkerke is the administrative and spiritual heart of the Maronite Church. The patriarch also keeps a summer residence at Dimane in the northern mountains, where the patriarchate moves during the hotter months.

What is the patriarch's official title?

The full official title is Patriarch of Antioch and All the East. It links the Maronite Church to the ancient apostolic see of Antioch, where the disciples were first called Christians, and expresses the patriarch's pastoral care for the faithful across the whole East and, today, the worldwide Maronite diaspora.

How is the Maronite patriarch chosen?

The Maronite patriarch is elected by the Synod of Maronite Bishops, the assembly of the Church's bishops, who gather and vote until one candidate is chosen. Once elected and having accepted, he asks for ecclesial communion with the Pope of Rome, as is proper for the head of an Eastern Catholic Church. He then leads the Church for life.

Is the Maronite patriarch a cardinal?

The patriarch is not automatically a cardinal, but he is often created one. The incumbent, Cardinal Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, was created a cardinal in 2012, the year after his election, and his predecessor Cardinal Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir was also a cardinal. The office of patriarch itself ranks with the highest in the Catholic communion, independent of the cardinalate.