The general public has no idea that the Middle East had a long reigning mighty Christian dynasty that flourished until very recently.
The Ghassanid Kings ruled several Middle Eastern regions, from 220 CE until the mid 18th century, a duration of over 1500 years. As the oldest active Christian Royal House in the world, they ruled over the largest territory for the longest period; more than any other Arab Dynasty.
The Ghassanid Kings’ lawful heirs are theSheikhs El Chemor of Lebanon. Many were forced to move to the Americas and change their last names after being persecuted by the Ottoman Empire. But many never stopped using their titles and have recently been internationally recognized.
The upcoming documentary “The Invisible People” is currently in production and will seek to explore the past, present and future of Christianity in the Middle East.
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HIRH Prince Gharios El Chemor with His Excellency Msgr. Boulos Matar, the Maronite Archbishop of Beirut
On Monday, November 20th, HIRH Prince Gharios El Chemor has participated of the celebrations of the 74th Independence Day of the Republic of Lebanon at the ballroom of the Beverly Hilton Hotel, invited by His Excellency Ambassador Hon. Johnny Ibrahim, the Lebanese Consul General of Los Angeles. There,Prince Gharios El Chemor had met His Excellency Msgr. Boulos Youssef Matar, the Maronite Archbishop of Beirut who has immediately manifested the knowledge of the El Chemor/Gharios family and its history.
Monsignor Karcher was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina and is one of the responsible for the Pontifical Protocol being very close to Pope Francis. The Monsignor has a brilliant carrier in the Vatican Secretary of State being serving in the Roman Curia for many years.
Prince Gharioshas honored Monsignor Karcher not only for his impeccable carrier serving the Church but also in gratitude for his always kind attitude and assistance being such a gracious host every time the prince visits Rome.
Around 300 years ago, His Beatitude Estephan II Boutros El Douaihy, Maronite Patriarch (1630-1704) and one of the most respected Lebanese historians, mentioned the ruling Sheikhs El Chemor in his chronicles about the Maronite history. In 1948, Father Ignatios Tannos El Khoury, one of the most acclaimed and respected Maronite historians of the 20th century, published a historical scientific research about the family called “Sheikhs El Chemor rulers of Akoura (1211-1633) and rulers of Zgharta-Zawyie (1641-1747)”. In this study, Father El Khoury states about the origins of the family El Chemor as being princes from the Ghassanid Royal Family and descending from the last King of Ghassan. That being the reason why they were respected by the Maronites as princes and sovereign rulers. Even regardless of the Ghassanid claim, the El Chemor family is undoubtedly a princely family since their titles didn’t come from any higher authority (prince, King nor emperor). They were sovereign and therefore royal, differently than many Sheikhs in Lebanon who got their titles from the princes that ruled Lebanon as “Ottoman puppets”. Not even those princes were technically sovereign since their power emanated conditionally and exclusively from the Ottoman empire. He also states that the Gharios (Guerios) family from Jbeil and Chiyah in Lebanon was originated from the El Chemor family.
The accounts about the El Chemor/Gharios (Guerios) family were never contested in over 300 years. Not even one line was written against the documents, books or even about the authors. On the contrary, patriarch Douaihy was Blessed by Pope Benedict XVI in 1998and is in the process of becoming a saint. Father Ignatios had published several historical books published not only in Lebanon but also in Europe and 6 years after the El Chemor scientific study was laureated by the French Government with their highest academic Order, the “Ordre des Palmes académiques (Order of Academic Palms)” in the rank of officer, the second highest. This honor is even higher in precedence than the well known “Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Order of Arts and Letters)”.
Father Ignatios Khoury has over 35 (thirty five) academic publicationsplus several peer revised articles and scholarly essays published in renowned magazines and newspapers in Lebanon, other Middle Eastern countries and Europe.
Please, click below to read his academic biography and publications (Original in Arabic)
Please CLICK HERE for an official 2014’s article (in Arabic) from the Lebanese Government News’s Agency (Lebanese Republic – Ministry of Information) quoting the book about the El Chemor princely family (recognizing the titles and citing some family members) and validating Father Ignatios as an official source.
Please, click below of the English legal translation of the article
Recently, Professor Dr. Abbot Antoine Daou, one of the top modern Maronite historians, have confirmed the aforementioned statements in a sworn affidavit. Prof. Dr. Daou is not only an acclaimed Maronite historian and author of the book “History of the Maronites” (Beirut, 1970) amongst many others, but was graduated by the Pontifical Angelicum University in Rome with Doctorates in Theology and Canon law. He is a siting professor of the La Sagesse University in Lebanon and is the Abbot of the Antoinine Maronite Order. He also serves as the Secretary of the Commission of the Lebanese Bishops’ Conference for Dialogue with Islam.
Prof. Dr. Abbot Daou categorically states that the book about the El Chemor family by Father Ignatios “has been considered as an essential reference of Maronite’s and Lebanon history’s references” and that “no book or criticism has been issued by the Maronite church opposing this chronicling.” About Father Ignatios he states “a well-known historian and writer”.
Please, click here to access the document and the sworn legal translation in English:
The Royal House of Ghassan and the Order of Saint Michael Archangel in Brazil have delivered today at the Catholic Community “Fonte de Agua Viva” (Campos, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) the basic food products (rice, beans, sugar, flour, etc.) equivalent for eleven families. We thank Luiz Sergio de Souza Silva, the representative in Brazil and all the members for the initiative.
On the 13th of Novemeber, after being invested as a “Knight of Honor of the Holy Chalice” Prince Gharios El Chemorhas participated of the Annual Feast of the Holy Chalice of Valencia in Spain. The Holy mass was celebrated by the Archbishop of Valencia His Eminence Cardinal Antonio Canizares. Prince Gharios met His Eminence after the mass (photos below) and gifted him with water from the Jesus’ baptismal site in Jordan.
The annual feast of the Holy Chalice was celebrated on the 13th of November at the Cathedral of Valencia in Spain. HIRH Prince Gharios El Chemor of Ghassan Al-Numan VIIIwas invested as a “Knight of Honor of the Holy Chalice” from the Brotherhood of the Holy Chalice of Valencia. Recently, HRH Dom Duarte Pio de Braganza, the Duke of Braganza and Head of the Royal House of Portugal has received the same honor.
His Imperial and Royal Highness Archduke Otto von Habsburg (20 November 1912 – 4 July 2011), also known by his royal name as Archduke Otto of Austria, was the last Crown Prince of Austria-Hungary. The realm comprised modern-day Austria, Hungary, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, and parts of Italy, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia and Ukraine. He became the pretender to the former thrones, Head of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine, and Sovereign of the Order of the Golden Fleece in 1922, upon the death of his father. The current head of the House (since 2007) is his son, His Imperial and Royal Highness Archduke Karl Habsburg-Lothringen (born in 1961). HIRH Archduke Otto left us in 2011.
Both videos presented here, show the wisdom of a Catholic prince that sees beyond the labels. And sees the greater good with the eyes of a scholar and a real statesman. May we “drink” from the elixir of his wisdom.
Today is the feast of Our Lady of Aparecida, the Patroness of Brazil.
May Our Lady of Aparecida Bless you and yours!
Our Lady of Aparecida (Portuguese: Nossa Senhora Aparecida or Portuguese: Nossa Senhora da Conceição Aparecida is a celebrated 18th-century clay statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the traditional form associated with the Immaculate Conception. The image is widely venerated by BrazilianCatholics, who consider her as the principal patroness of Brazil. Historical accounts state that the statue was originally found by three fishermen who miraculously caught many fish after invoking the Blessed Virgin Mary.
More information about the Royal House of Ghassan HERE
THE ROYAL HERALD 