Georges hakim biography

Head of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church from 1967 to 2000

Maximos V Hakim (Arabic: ماكسيموس الخامس حكيم; May 18, 1908 – June 29, 2001) was elected Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and Alexandria and Jerusalem of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church in 1967 and served until 2000. He guided the church through turbulent changes in the Middle East and rapid expansion in the Western hemisphere.

Life

He was born George Selim Hakim at Tanta, Egypt, on May 18, 1908, to parents who were originally from Aleppo. He was educated locally and at Le Collège de la Sainte Famille (High School of the Holy Family) Jesuit school in Cairo. After completing his studies at St. Anne of Jerusalem, he was ordained a priest in the Basilica of St. Anne by Maximos IV Sayegh, then Archbishop of Tyre, on July 20, 1930. As a young priest he taught for a year in the patriarchal school in Beirut before returning to Cairo in 1931.

Episcopate

He was appointed eparch on March 13, 1943 and consecrated Eparch of St. John of Acre, Haifa, Nazareth and all Galilee, in Cairo on June 13, 1943, by Patriarch Cyril IX Moghabghab, assisted by the Archbishops Dionysius Kfoury, Titular bishop of Tarsus dei Greco-Melkiti, and Pierre Medawar, Titular bishop of Pelusium dei Greco-Melkiti, patriarchal auxiliaries. On November 18, 1964 Hakim became Archeparch. He was elected Patriarch by the Holy Synod at Ain Traz on November 22, 1967 and his election was confirmed on November 26 of the same year.

As a priest, he distinguished himself by his running of the Patriarchal College in Cairo and by the launching and publication of the review Le Lien. Later, as an archbishop, he built schools, a junior seminary, an orphanage, a home for the elderly and several churches. He took particular care for the clergy and for the religious and secular orders and he brought in several groups of Europeans come to integrate themselves into the Church. As archbishop he spea

The story of the House of George Hakim started in 1875, when renowned jeweler George Hakim opened his first workshop in the famed gold souks of the Ottoman Empire.

George Hakim had quickly established himself as one of the region’s most preeminent jewelers, designing unique and elegant pieces, sought after by the region’s most discerning clientele. This was the beginning of an heirloom legacy that would be handed down for four generations and blossom to be a respected international house of refinement.

But the legend of George Hakim was only just beginning. Like a precious jewel being excavated and painstakingly cut to bring out its natural beauty, the house continued its ascent to even greater heights – eventually entering into its fourth and current generation of passionate expertise and meticulous attention to detail in design and craftsmanship. Elias, Karim, Nabil and Alain Hakim earned degrees from the Gemological Institute of America and infused the business with youthful excitement and a penchant for innovation in design under the steady guidance of their father George.

The family’s ambition took them to Geneva, the landmark of luxury jewelry and watches.

The Hakim family is present in all stages of jewelry creation: from actual drawing to buying the gems, throughout the execution and until the completion of the new creation. Having excellent artisans in their atelier, this know how, rigor and perseverance is what makes their success.