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Born
in 1965 in the Galilean village of Al Rameh, Theodosius (Atallah)
Hanna attended local primary and secondary schools before
entering the Clerical Patriarchate School in Jerusalem.
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In 1983 he
matriculated at Thessalonica University in Greece in the
Faculty of Theology. After graduating with honours, he went
on to complete a master’s degree and doctorate.
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In 1991 he was
ordained as a deacon and priest in the Church of the Holy
Sepulchre in Jerusalem. The late Patriarch Diodoros
invested him as Archimandrite, and thereafter he was
appointed Head of the Arabic Department for the Orthodox
Patriarchate in Jerusalem in which office he acted as a
spokesman for the Orthodox Church in Jerusalem and the Holy
Land. In addition to these commitments and responsibilities,
he also served as preacher in the Patriarchate churches.
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Impressed by
his remarkable performance in these offices, the late
Patriarch Diodoros appointed him Secretary General of the
Clerical & Lay Joint Council of the Greek Orthodox
Patriarchate in Jerusalem.
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Thereafter he
was appointed professor of Church History and Arab
Civilization at the Arab Teachers College in Haifa; and
contributed much to the establishment and development of the
faculty for seven years.
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As the founder
of the Orthodox Youth Movement in Jerusalem and the Holy
Land, he is considered to be the godfather to many of the
Christian youth groups in Palestine.
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As a member of
the Composition Committee, he raised the topic of Christian
religious education in Arab schools in Israel and
participated in the establishment and development of
curricula for Palestinian schools.
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He also
supervised the Orthodox religious radio channel known as the
Voice of Palestine Radio.
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Theodosius is a
well-known author, and his articles have been periodically
published in various newspapers as well as in local and
international magazines.
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He is an active
and an effective member of the international ecumenical
movement both at local and the regional level who enhanced
dialogue in bringing various churches together to work
towards Christian unification. In addition, he actively
participated in Christian-Muslim dialogue to help foster the
spirit of cooperation and unity in Palestine.
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He participated
in the work of the Christian-Islamic group in the Middle
East Council of Churches; in this capacity he represented
the Jerusalem Patriarchate for this council’s Heritage
Committee.
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When the
Jerusalem Committee convened in Morocco under the auspices
of its President, King Mohammed VI, Theodosius delivered an
important speech on behalf of the Christian churches in the
Holy Land.
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As a
representative at the Geneva-based World Council of
Churches, he participated in a conference held by the UN
Commission on Human Rights in Geneva in which he gave a
detailed account on the suffering and violations of human
rights inflicted on the Palestinian people.
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As a
participant in the Islamic summit held in Qatar’s capital
city of Doha, speaking before an assembly of Arab kings,
princes, and presidents, he gave an eloquent and historic
speech on behalf of the churches of the Holy Land. This
speech is still regarded as one of the most memorable events
of the conference.
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He was a major
participant in the Christian - Islamic meeting in the United
Arab Emirates for the wellbeing of Jerusalem as well as in
numerous other regional and international meetings on this
issue. He has acted as an eloquent and tireless advocate for
the Palestinians and for the preservation of their rights in
Jerusalem.
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In several
visits to the US, he has represented the suffering of the
Palestinian people before Christian Associations and Human
Rights Organizations; in these meetings he has defended
Palestinians’ right to freedom and self-determination. He
has carried the same message to several American
universities.
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As a
representative of the Orthodox Church he attended the Arab
Summit held in Amman, Jordan, and also participated in
meetings of the Islamic Organization and meetings of foreign
ministries held in Qatar. For his passionate commitment and
sense of mission he has emerged as an acknowledged authority
and respected figure by the Arab League in Cairo.
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As a member of
the Arab National Unity, he represented Palestine in the
conferences held in Beirut and Bahrain.
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In his visits
to Arab and Islamic countries, he has repeatedly and
emphatically represented the Palestinian cause as a regional
issue of fundamental and urgent importance.
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In appreciation
for his steadfast and indefatigable efforts and the pioneer
role he has played over the years in promoting national
unity, he was awarded the Palestine Prize.
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He has received
numerous honours and awards from many Arab and Islamic
countries as well as from the city of Barcelona where he
participated in the jubilee celebrations.
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He was a founding member of the General Secretariat of
Jerusalem in Beirut, which directs the activities of the
Palestinian Welfare Committee of Jerusalem.
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Throughout the
Holy Land he is regarded as one of the most prominent
religious and spiritual leaders and he has inspired personal
admiration as well for his practice of Christian virtues and
his compassion and devotion to the service of humanity.
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He served as
the chief aide to the late Patriarch Diodoros during his
official visits.
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Through his
emphasis on the true national and cultural traditions of
Christianity to educate both visitors and residents alike,
he has steadfastly carried out his mission to maintain
Palestine’s Christian heritage.
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As a member of
the Palestinian National Committee he helped create a better
understanding about Palestine’s status in the international
law.
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On August 22,
2002, he was detained by the Israeli police and brought to
Al-Maskobiya prison in Jerusalem for extensive
interrogation. Since then for three years, he has been
prevented from travelling and he regained his freedom of
movement only in 2006. Prior to this arrest, he had been
several times interrogated by the Israeli police on
suspicion of his political attitudes and activities.
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As a member of
the Secretaries' Council in Jerusalem, he promoted the idea
of developing language institutions for multicultural
setting of the Holy Land.
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He has remained
an active member of Christian Islamic Discussion Forum in
Palestine and has also held membership in many other
organizations: