Syrian-born Archbishop Joseph Zahlawi, the Metropolitan of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, submitted his resignation following leaks of having a sexual relationship and money embezzlement, local media reported.
According to LBCI Lebanon News, Metropolitan Joseph is believed to have had a long-sexual relationship with a woman causing huge furious among Christians online who decried the news saying religious men should never have any sexual activity.
"المطران جوزيف زحلاوي يتقاعد بعد انتشار رسالة عن علاقة جنسية دامت 16 عاما" (LBCI). أنا حقيقة ما عندي مشكل بالحياة الجنسية للمطران، طالما فيها تراضي بين راشدين. بس مشكلتي، إنو هذا الشخص، حاله حال أغلب رجال الدين، بيكون نازل تذنيب وتخويف بالناس، بسبب حياتهم الجنسية.
— layal h (ليال حداد) (@layalhaddad) September 22, 2022
Reports said that Joseph Zahlawi have had a sexual relationship for around 16 years with allegations on social media splitting whether the girl was minor or not. Some people claimed that the girl he had a relationship with was underage.
On the other hand, others posted that the Metropolitan's mistress who he had a long sexual relationship with him was married when they began their relationship.
إقالة متروبوليت نيويورك وأميركا الشمالية للروم الأرثوذكس جوزيف زحلاوي بعدما ثبت للبطريركية اختفاء مبلغ 5 ملايين دولار من التبرعات وتبيّن في التحقيق الداخلي أن المبلغ استُخدم لتمويل حملة نائب حزبي بيروتي أرثوذكسي، التفاصيل في الرابطhttps://t.co/8Z9LDDvPWO
— Elio David ? ?? ☦️ - فوضى ١٧ تشرين (@eliodavid842) September 19, 2022
Earlier investigations by the Patriarchate showed that Metropolitan Joseph Zahlawi is accused of embezzling $5 million which was directed for the poor but never reached its destination.
Various reactions emerged online as some commentators slammed the message which was sent by the Patriarchate of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East to Metropolitan Joseph over his resignation letter. A person slammed the Patriarchate's stance saying instead of punishing him for embezzling money and having a sexual relationship, they wished him a long-happy life and accepted his resignation peacefully.
بطريكية انطاكية وسائر المشرق للروم الأورثوذكس تدعي للمطران #جوزيف_زحلاوي "بالصحة وطول العمر" بعد ارساله كتاب تقاعده
— zeina (@zeinaaaaaaa1) September 21, 2022
??
مش مزح ابداً ، بس مش معقول ابداً ، اسمه رجل دين يعني لازم يكون قدوة
⬇️ pic.twitter.com/Rmt1iT8SBR
About Joseph Zahlawi
Joseph G. Al-Zehlaoui or Joseph Zahlawi was born in November 1950, in Damascus, Syria. He studied philosophy at Lebanese University in Beirut and theology, languages and music at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece.
Back in 1976, Zehlaoui was ordained to the diaconate while a student in Salonica and was ordained to the priesthood by Patriarch Ignatius IV, at St. Mary Cathedral in Damascus in December 1980.
