Youssef was born in
Tartous,
Syria on August 1, 1931. He began his
theological education at
Balamand Monastery followed by the
Universities of Athens and
Thessalonica in
Greece. He was elected to the
Metropolis of Aleppo in 1971 and was consecrated metropolitan by Patriarch
Elias (Muawad) IV and Metropolitans
Ignatius of Lattakia,
Athansios of Hama,
Constantine of Bagdad, and
Alexis of Homs.
Metropolitan Elias died on August 6, 2000 at the age of 69. ==References==