The Father of All Poor People
His name is Patriarch Gregorios Haddad. Most people in Damascus named him as Mohammad Gregorios the father of poor Muslims.
When he died in 1928, they carried his body from Beirut to Damascus, as the Syrian Artillery was shooting 100 bullets.
50,000 Muslims from Damascus participated in his Funeral.
It said that they wanted to pray over his body at the Omayyad mosque.
King Faysal sent one hundred knights to participate in his funeral.
Gregorios Haddad had a great human personality that was reflected in his great relation with Muslims.
Mohammad Kurd Ali wrote in his memories: “I had known my friend Patriarch Gregorios Haddad since the first world war. He sold a lot of property in Syria and Lebanon to buy food for all poor people in Syria.
Some said that he kept the Patriarchate doors open to everyone during the war and he borrowed money to feed people.
It said that he sold his Diamond Cross (Caesar of Russia Nicholas II gave him the cross) to a Jewish jeweler for a 1000 gold Coins.
M.T