KAFITY, SAMIR (BISHOP) (1933-)

Born in Haifa in 1933; educated at the Friends’ Boys School in Ramallah; studied at the AUB, graduating with a BA in 1957; ordained at St. George’s Anglican Cathedral in Jerusalem in 1957; enrolled at the Near East School of Theology, Beirut, receiving a DipTh; continued his studies and earned a DD from Dickinson College, a DD from the University of Kent and an STD from Virginia Theological Seminary; became Archdeacon in 1974; taught religion, ethics and philosophy at BZU; in 1982, was consecrated Co-Adjutor Bishop in Jerusalem; became 12th Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem on 6 Jan. 1984 (up to 1998); also Chaplain of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Commander of the Order of St. Lazarus, Jerusalem, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, and elected President-Bishop of the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East since; served as honorary life Pres. of the Middle East Council of Churches and for 11 years on the Supreme Council of the Evangelical Community in Syria and Lebanon; also served as member of the Hashemite Commission on Jerusalem, the Advisory Committee of the Orient House and the Islamic-Christian dialogue group; received honorary doctoral degrees from Dickenson College, Pennsylvania (1985) and Virginia Theological Seminary (1986); Exec. Committee member of the Near East School of Theology; worked as vice-moderator for the World Council of Churches; in Jan. 1988, became honorary Canon of the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in New York; first recipient of the Palestinian Star of Jerusalem from Pres. Yasser Arafat in 1997; retired in the US since 1998 and continues speaking and working on issues related to Christian faith and Palestine.