American Maronite Catholic priest
John Denver Faris
(born January 18, 1951) is an
American
Chorbishop
of the
Syriac Maronite Church of Antioch
, serving the
Maronite Catholic Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn
, headquartered in
Brooklyn
,
New York
. He is a
canon lawyer
of the
Eastern Catholic Churches
, and an expert called upon for dialogue between the
Catholic Church
and the
Eastern Christian Churches
.
Early life
[
edit
]
Faris was born in 1951 in
Uniontown, Pennsylvania
, the son of John M. Faris and his wife, Goldie Bowlen. He attended Charles E. Boyle Elementary School, Benjamin Franklin Junior High School, and Uniontown Area High School. In 1968 he enrolled at
Saint Vincent College
in
Latrobe, Pennsylvania
. While studying there, he felt called to serve as a priest and transferred to
Sacred Heart Seminary
in
Detroit
,
Michigan
, where he was awarded a
Bachelor of Arts
degree in 1972. While residing at the
Pontifical North American College
in
Rome
, he attended the
Pontifical Gregorian University
, where he received a
Bachelor of Sacred Theology
(
magna cum laude
) in 1975. He then pursued studies in
moral theology
at the
Alphonsianum
.
Archbishop
Francis Mansour Zayek
ordained
him to the
priesthood
on 17 July 1976 at St. George Church in Uniontown.
[1]
[
dead link
]
Faris then returned to Rome and In 1980 he was awarded a
Doctor of Eastern Canon Law
(
magna cum laude
) from the
Pontifical Oriental Institute
, with a dissertation on
The Communion of Catholic Churches: Ecclesiology and Terminology
.
[1]
[
dead link
]
Ministry
[
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]
After completing his doctorate, Faris was named the Vice
Rector
of the
Cathedral of Our Lady of Lebanon
in Brooklyn. Upon completing a year of service there, he was appointed Vice
Chancellor
of the eparchy. In 1980, he was appointed Chancellor, and later
Protosyncellus
(
Vicar General
), of the eparchy, serving in these offices until 1996. During this period, he was named a
Chaplain of His Holiness
in 1988 by
Pope John Paul II
and later ordained a chorbishop of the Maronite Church by Zayek in 1991.
[1]
From 1996 to 2009, Faris served in a variety of positions at the
Catholic Near East Welfare Association
(CNEWA), finally serving as Deputy Secretary General. While serving with this special papal agency dedicated to assisting the Eastern Churches, Faris traveled extensively in the Middle East, India, northeastern Africa and Eastern Europe and was involved in the fund-raising initiatives of the agency.
In June 2009, Faris was appointed
pastor
of
St. Louis Gonzaga
Maronite Church in
Utica, New York
. He also serves as a judge on the Tribunal of the eparchy.
[2]
In June 2018, Faris was appointed pastor of Saint Anthony Church in Glen Allen, Virginia, effective 1 September 2018. He was additionally appointed Editor of
The Maronite Voice
and all electronic media and director of the Office of Communications of the Eparchy of Saint Maron.
Canon Law
[
edit
]
Faris serves as an
assistant professor
in the School of Canon Law at the
Catholic University of America
in
Washington, D.C.
Since 2020, he has lectured in the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome and the Institute of Oriental Canon Law of the Dharmaram Vidya Kshetram in Bangalore, India.
A member since 1984, he was elected President of the
Canon Law Society of America
in 1994, and later served as the chairman of the ad hoc committee responsible for the preparation of the most recent English translation of the
Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches
.
[3]
He has also been elected the Secretary General of the Society for the Law of the Eastern Churches (1991-2000). He served as a consultor for the
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
as a part of its Liaison Committee for Latin and Eastern Church Affairs (1992?96). In January 2018, Faris was appointed Chair of the CLSA Eastern Churches Committee for a three-year term.
In September 2022, Faris was elected Vice-President of the Society for the Law of the Eastern Churches.
Faris is also a member of the Canon Law Society of Great Britain and Ireland, the Canon Law Society of Australia and New Zealand, the Canon Law Society of India, the Eastern Canon Law Society of India. He serves on the editorial boards of various journals in his field:
Eastern Canon Law
,
Eastern Legal Thought
and
Gratianus.
Ecumenical Dialogues
[
edit
]
Faris serves as a Catholic Representative on the North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation and the United States Oriental Orthodox-Roman Catholic Consultation. From 2007 - 2011, he served as a member of the Catholic Delegation on the Joint Working Group, a liaison body of the Catholic Church and the
World Council of Churches
.
[4]
In 2019, Faris was appointed by the Council for Promoting the Unity of Christians to the Catholic Delegation of the International Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches.
Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem
[
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]
Faris was named a Titular
Canon
of the
Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre
, with the rank of Knight Commander with Star (conferred on 23 November 2013). In September 2010, he received the Order's highest honor, the Golden
Palm of Jerusalem
, for his dedication to and work for the Christians of the
Holy Land
. He is a member of the Board of Councillors of the Eastern Lieutenancy of the Order for the United States. He is involved in recruiting new members and provides extensive lectures on the Order and the Holy Land. He has recently been serving as spiritual director for
seminarians
on Holy Land pilgrimages sponsored by the Eastern Lieutenancy.
[1]
Despite his numerous visits and pilgrimages to the Holy Land, Faris only received the "Pilgrim's Shell" from His Beatitude Pierbattista Pizzaballa in March 2017. On the same pilgrimage he received the Franciscan Cross in recognition of his charity towards the poor in the Holy Land.
Honors
[
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]
In 2011, Faris was presented by the
Canon Law Society of America
with their Role of Law Award for his outstanding contributions to canonical science.
[3]
Faris was appointed Chaplain
iure sanguinis
of the
Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George
.
[1]
Presentations and writings
[
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]
- Presentations
- 24 March 2011, New York - Anti-Defamation League "Catholic--But Not Roman: Governance Structures of Eastern Catholic Churches"
- 28 October 2015, Gatineau, Quebec - Canadian Canon Law Society - A Code for One and Future Easter Churches:
The Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches
at Twenty Five"
- 27 January 2016, Phoenix, Arizona - Diocese of Phoenix
Hic sunt dracones
Critical Pastoral Issues in the
Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches
- 6-9 September 2016, Bangalore, India - Institute of Oriental Canon Law, Dharmaram Vidya Kshetram. "Canon Law and Ecumenism: What We Have to Be is What We Are."
- 12 October 2016, Houston, TX - Canon Law Society of America. "Synods, Councils and Assemblies: Hierarchical Structures as Expressions of
Synodality
"
- 21 October 2016 - North American Orthodox - Catholic Consultation. "Marriage Discipline in the Catholic Communion of Churches"
- 23 February 2017 - Pontifical Oriental Institute Centenary Anniversary Symposium.
Il CCEO Strumento per il future delle Chiese orientali
"The Exercise of Roman Primacy and the Communion of Churches." To be published in the proceedings of the symposium.
- 8 May 2017 - Eastern Regional Conference of Canonists, Meadowlands, NJ "Eastern Catholics in the Diaspora."
- 1 June 2017 - Orthodox-Catholic Bishops Dialogue, Plymouth, MI. "Marriage and Remarriage in the Catholic Church."
- 27 June 2021 - Oriental Orthodox-Roman Catholic Consultation on 27 September 2021 via Zoom. "Proposal for Eucharistic Hospitality". Published online at Academia
- Books
[5]
- (Chair of CLSA Committee)
Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches
. Latin-English Edition?New English Translation
. Washington, DC: Canon Law Society of America, 1995.
- Eastern Catholic Churches: Constitution and Governance.
Brooklyn, NY: Saint Maron Publications, 1992.
- The Communion of Catholic Churches: Terminology and Ecclesiology .
Brooklyn, NY: Pontifical Oriental Institute, 1985.
- In collaboration with Pospishil, V. J.
The New Latin Code of Canon Law and Eastern Catholics.
Brooklyn, NY: Diocese of Saint Maron, 1984.
- Canon Law and Ecumenism: To Become What We Are
. Dharmaram Canonical Studies. Bengalaru: Dharmaram Vidya Kshetram, 2018.
- Co-edited with Jobe Abbass,
A Practical Commentary to the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches.
Montreal: Wilson & LeFleur, 2019.
- Articles
- "Canonical Issues in the Pastoral Care of Eastern Catholics."
Proceedings of the 53rd Annual Convention of the Canon Law Society of America
, 154?64. Washington, DC: Canon Law Society of America, 1991.
- “A Church Comes of Age: The Syro-Malankara Major Archiepiscopal Church.” Published in
Commemoration Book of Syro-Malankara Catholic Conference August, 2006
.
- "Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches and Temporal Goods, The."
Church Finance Handbook,
Editors Kevin E. McKenna, Lawrence A. Di Nardo, and Joseph W. Pokusa, 27?43. Washington, DC: Canon Law Society of America, 1999.
- "The Codification and Revision of Eastern Canon Law."
Studia Canonica
17 (1983): 449?85.
- "Eastern Churches in the Western World: Roots, Growth, Future."
Catholic Near East
26, no. 6 (2000): 20?25.
- “Emerging From the Catacombs."
Catholic Near East
24, no. 1 (1998).
- "Inter-Ritual Matters in the Revised Code of Canon Law."
Studia Canonica
15 (1983): 239?59.
- "Interritual Matters in the Revised Code of Canon Law."50th International Congress of Canon Law, 821-23.
Proceedings of the 50th International Congress of Canon Law: 1986
.
- "One and Many Churches."
Catholic Near East
24, no. 3 (1998): 16?21.
- "An Overview of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches."
New Commentary on the Code of Canon Law
, Editors John P. Beal, James A. Coriden, and Green Thomas J., 27?44. New York: Paulist Press, 2000.
- "A Pearl Anniversary."
Catholic Near East
20, no. 6 (1994): 20?25.
- "Penal Law in the Catholic Church: A Comparative Overview."
Folia Canonica
2 (1999): 53?93.
- "The Reception of Baptized Non-Catholics into Full Communion."
Acta Symposii Internationalis Circa Codicem Canonum Ecclesiarum Orientalium Kaslik, 24-29 Aprilis 1995
., 159?77. Kaslik, Lebanon: Universite Saint-Espirit, 1996.
- “A Road Map for the Maronite Church.”
The Maronite Voice
- "Synodal Governance in the Eastern Catholic Churches."
Proceedings of the 49th Annual Convention of the Canon Law Society of America.
, 212?26. Washington DC: Canon Law Society of America, 1987.
- “Territory and the Eastern Catholic Experience in the United States.”
Folia Canonica
5 (2002) 51?58.
- "Toward a Recognition of the Status of the Eastern Churches in the Catholic Communion of Churches."
The Living Light
32 (1996): 50?57.
- “The Latin Church
Sui Iuris
.”
The Jurist
62 (2002) 280?293.
- "Upon This Rock."
Catholic Near East
25/6 (1999): 6-11.
- “The Synod of Bishops and Council of Hierarchs in the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches”
Studies in Church Law
- “Byzantines in Italy: A Microcosm of an Evolving Ecclesiology.”
The Jurist
67 (2007) 89-108.
- "At Home Everywhere--A Reconsideration of the
Territorium Proprium
of the Patriarchal Churches."
The Jurist
69 (2009) 5-30.
- “Ascription in a Church sui iuris.”
Diccionario General de Derecho Canonico
. University of Navarra.
- “Latin Church”
Diccionario General de Derecho Canonico
. University of Navarra.
- "Eastern Churches in a Western World: Relationship to the Churches of Origin."
Journal of St. Thomas Christians
21:2 (2010) 3-20.
- "Synodal Governance in the Eastern Catholic Churches."
Iustitia
2/2 (December 2011) 313?337.
- "A Code for the 'Other Lung'"
Recht. Religion en Semanleving
(2012) 91-115.
- "The Particular Law of the Maronite Church with a Special Focus on Territorial Restrictions."
Kanon
23 (2014) 88-108.
- "Structures for Liturgical Reform and the
Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches
."
Questions Liturgiques
95 (2014) 128?147.
- "God and Church: Communions of One and Many."
Iustitia
5:1 (June 2014) 9-22.
- "Law for Once and Future Churches: The Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches in 2015." Under publication.
- "Exercise of Roman Primacy and the Communion of Churches." In
Il
CCEO
--Strumento per il future delle Chiese orientali cattolici. Atti del Simposio di Roma, 22-24 2017 Centenario del Pontifico Istituo Orientali (1917-2017)
, edited by G. Ruyssen and S. Kokkaravalayil. Kanonika 25 Rome:Pontificio Istituto Orientali, 2017) 413?454.
- "Ascription in the Eastern and Latin Churches in Light of
De Concordia inter Codices.
Presentation given at the Canon Law Society of Australia and New Zealand, Auckland, New Zealand 5 September 2017 in Canon Law Society of Australia and New Zealand,
Proceedings Fifty-First Annual Conference 2017
, 15-34.
- "Marriage in the Eastern and Latin Churches in Light of
De Concordia inter Codices.
" Presentation given at the Canon Law Society of Australia and New Zealand, Auckland, New Zealand 6 September 2017 in
Proceedings Fifty-First Annual Conference 2017
, 68?86.
- “Synods, Councils and Assemblies: Hierarchical Structures as Expressions of Synodality," Canon Law Society of America,
Proceedings of the Seventy-Eighth Annual Convention. October 10?13, 2016.
187?217.
- "God and Church: Communions of One and Many" in
Communio: The Eastern Catholic Churches
, 75-92. Fairfax, VA: Eastern Catholic Associates, 2018/
- "Ascription Status and Crucial Moments: When Does Ascription Status Matter? Canon Law Society of America,
Proceedings of the Eighty-Third Annual Convention
(2021) 105-124.
- "The Role of Ecumenism in a Synodal Church,"
Iustitia
12 (December 2021) 247-268.
- "Ecumenism and the Challenge to Ecclesial Structures."
Fifty Years of Encounter among the Eastern Churches
Kanon XXVI (Nyiregaza, St. Athanasius Greek-Catholic theological Institute, 2022), 377-394.
- "The Role of Consultation in Eparchia Governance."
Studia Canonica
- Book reviews
- “The Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches. Edited by Jose Chiramel and Kuriakose Bharanikulangara.” India: St. Thomas Academy for Research, 1992." Published in
The Jurist
53:1 (1993): 216-19.
- "The Spirit of the Eastern Code. by George Nedungatt.” Rome: Centre for Indian and Inter-Religious Studies, 1993. Published in
The Jurist
55 (1995): 407-9.
- “Two Codes in Comparison by Jobe Abbass With Foreword by Ivan ?u?ek.” Rome: Pontifical Oriental Institute, 1997. Published in
Orientalia Christiana Periodica
65, no. 2 (1999): 473-77.
- “Laity and Church Temporalities?Appraisal of a Tradition by George Nedungatt, S.J.” (Bangalore, India: Dharmaram Publications, 2000). Published in
Studia Canonica
35/2 (2001) 535-537.
- “Commento al Codice dei Canoni delle Chiese Orientali by Pio Vito Pinto. (Citta del Vaticano: Librerria Editrice Vaticana, 2001). Published in
Studia Canonica
36/1 (2002) 259-260.
- “Vested in Grace: Priesthood and Marriage in the Christian East by Joseph J. Allen (ed.)” (Brookline, MA: Holy Cross Orthodox Press, 2001). Published in
The Jurist
63/1 (2003) 200-202.
- “Comparative Sacramental Discipline in the CCEO and CIC,
A Handbook for the Pastoral Care of Other Catholic Churches Sui Iuris
by Francis J. Marini (ed.).” (Washington, DC: Canon Law Society of America, 2003). Published in Studia Canonica 38/1 (2004) 266-269.
- "Dall’Oronte al Tevere. Scritti in onore del cardinale Ignace Moussa I Daoud per il cinquantesimo di sacerdozio
, by Gianpaolo Rigotti (ed.)." (Rome: Edizioni “Orientalia Christiana,” 2004).” Published in The Catholic Historical Review (April 2007) 440-442.
- “Le Chiese
sui iuris.
Criteri di Individuazione e Delimitatione
by Luis Okulik (ed.).” (Venice:Studium Generale Marcianum, 2005). Published in
The Jurist
68 (2008) 2: 595-597.
- “Salvific Law: Salvific Character of CCEO, An Historical Overview
by Thomas Kuzhinapurath.” (Trivandrum, India:MS Publications, 2008). Published in
Studia Canonica
42(2009) 1: 269?270.
- "
The Guidelines for the Revision of the Eastern Code: Their Impact on CCEO
by Sunny Kokkaravaalayil." (Rome: Pontificio Istituo Orientale, 2009). Published in
Studia Canonica
References
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Sources
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- Biographical Note in
Eastern Catholic Churches: Constitution and Governance
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