Background and education Charles Debbas was born in
Beirut He was the son of Gerges Khalil Debbas (1845–1912) and Marie Salim Jbeili. His grandfather Khalil Debbas (1823–1885)'s brother was
J. Abdo Debbas, who served as American vice-consul in
Tarsus. He was a pupil at the Collège des Jésuites. Having obtained his baccalaureate at fourteen and a half years old, he went to study law in
Montpellier then in
Paris. The couple began to live in Beirut, Debbas responded in the press that he stood by what he had written and that the wali should submit the matter to court if he thought his article had infringed the law. and got married with Burgart on 24 October in
Neuilly-sur-Seine. Quoting Dib, "to provide balance with the Maronite leadership, between 1926 and 1930, Debbas allowed
Bechara al-Khouri and his nemesis
Emile Éddé to take turns to act as prime ministers. Eventually, al-Khouri emerged as the stronger leader as he was backed by the Chihas and their millionaire cousins the Faraoun family." Debbas was re-elected president on 23 March 1929 On 2 January 1934, Debbas delivered a letter of resignation from his presidential functions; he was replaced by
Habib Pacha Saad. Debbas became President of the Chamber of Deputies (Speaker) a few days later, and remained in that position until October; he was replaced by
Petro Trad.
Death and funeral Debbas sailed to France in April 1935 in order to stay there for six months but died on 22 August of that year, in the
16th arrondissement of Paris, 6 rue Piccini. in the presence of
Henri Gouraud, A funeral wake was held and Patriarch
Alexander III of Antioch gave Debbas absolution the following day in the
Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Saint George. Three speeches were then given at Mar Mitr (Saint Demetrios) cemetery, where Debbas is buried. ==Masonic activities==